Tommy Pham Yielding Early Results as Mets' Fourth Outfielder
So far, so good for Tommy Pham.
After a 2-for-3 day at the plate with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base, Pham is giving the Mets just what they need as a fourth outfielder.
Pham, 35, signed on with New York as a free agent in January and in 10 games, he owns a .276/.344/.414 triple slash.
Earlier this month when the Mets were in Miami, Pham received new, fine-tuned corrective lenses that have helped him see the ball better.
Pham suffers from keratoconus, which is a degenerative eye disorder that causes thinning of the cornea.
The Nevada native first experienced issues with the disorder 15 years ago when he was a minor leaguer in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
With his new lenses, Pham says he is seeing the ball better.
That has been evident in his performance, and has produced solid results early on in the campaign.
Beyond his triple slash, Pham has an average exit velocity in the 80th percentile according to Baseball Savant, an xWOBA in the 75th percentile, xBA in the 84th percentile, and is being disciplined as well, with a strong chase rate in the 94th percentile.
The Mets' offense hasn't been firing on all cylinders to begin the season, but during Wednesday's series finale with the San Diego Padres, there were positives to speak of.
Brandon Nimmo went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, Pete Alonso mashed his sixth dinger of the year, and Francisco Lindor rocked a long ball of his own.
It's a long season and there will always be a lot of moving parts, but the Mets don't need Tommy Pham to be a stud. They just need him to perform in his role, and so far, he's done just that.
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