MILWAUKEE — The successes continue to come for Jose Iglesias, both on the court and on the charts.
The Latin pop sensation known as “Candelita” could never have imagined he would find himself in this position, batting and playing second base for the Mets in the postseason, just two days removed from a celebration having champagne with his teammates, hearing his hit song played. at Citi Field every time one of them hits a home run and even gets to play it on the field for the fans with an entire big league team dancing on the field behind him.
No, he didn’t see that coming.
The Mets probably never expected him to contribute the way he did either, but there he was sprinting out of the box after hitting a ground ball to first base Tuesday night in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. It should have been the third out of the fifth inning, but Iglesias slipped headfirst into the bag safely, allowing the tying run to score.
The Mets then won 8-4 with a five-run fifth inning.
“Every game it seems like he does something like that,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “He’s a special, special player. He is in competition. Every game, his last two or three at-bats are very good quality – high quality – at-bats. He helped us to be in this position, that’s for sure.
It was ruled a hit, extending his streak to 23 games.
And to think, the 34-year-old veteran could have opted out of his minor league deal with the Mets when he was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse after spring training. He thinks about it, but imagine how differently things would have turned out if he hadn’t stayed.
“I’m glad I stayed,” an emotional Iglesias told the Daily News this week. “I’m glad I was lucky enough to get this opportunity and grab it with both hands.”
It’s been a wild season for the Mets, but even wilder for Iglesias. The value he brought to the team cannot be quantified because yes, you can look at his 137 OPS+ or his +2 OAA, but how do you measure the atmosphere he brought to the Mets and the city of New York with his hit. song, “OMG?”
You can’t quantify vibrations.
“I think he’s been one of the greatest players on our team because he brings energy every day,” receiver Francisco Alvarez said. “He talks all day. He talks, talks. He still has that song and he keeps it fun. He makes things fun for everyone in the clubhouse. He’s a great clubhouse guy.
Iglesias has been important to the Mets beyond the clubhouse. When Jeff McNeil struggled at the plate to start the season, Iglesias entered the lineup and produced. This gave the Mets the opportunity to use McNeil in the outfield when Starling Marte was injured over the summer. When McNeil was injured late in the season, Iglesias stepped in as the starting second baseman.
A utility infielder capable of playing second base, third base and shortstop, Iglesias doesn’t fit any analytical mold. It was clear that Iglesias beat out Joey Wendle and Christian Scott in spring training, but the Mets thought otherwise at the time. Instead, he started the season at Syracuse, becoming a mentor to top on-court prospect Luisangel Acuña. Iglesias adopted a weighted ball program on the advice of his former teammate in Detroit and Boston, DH JD Martinez, to improve exit velocity, knowing it was one of the team’s analytics they liked to see .
Once the Mets called him up in June, everything changed. He helped the Mets get back into playoff contention with his bat, hitting .500 with runners in scoring position at one point during the season. He finished the regular season with a .375 average and a .902 OPS with RISP.
“I think he’s a different hitter in this type of era, where it’s home runs and walks,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s a guy who puts the ball in play, and when you put the ball in play, good things happen a lot of times. When you’re facing a good pitcher, you need that, and he did that.
Beyond what he did on the field, he also gave the Mets their rallying cry and the fans the song of the summer. The OMG sign, gifted to the Mets by Jerome McCroy or “Jay Mac”, a Ridgewood artist, has become the Mets’ iconic object of celebration.
Iglesias finds it difficult to put into words what this season has been like for him, not because the Cuban native speaks two languages, but because it has been so enriching.
“Everything ‘OMG’ brings to the stadium — the energy in the clubhouse and in the stands — it’s off the field,” Iglesias said. “On the pitch, it united us as a group. We’ve come a long way as a group and we understand what it takes.
For Iglesias, what it takes to win is a hit pop song, elite batting skills and a supportive club of teammates. It’s an unlikely story for an unlikely hero.
