ANAHEIM — Jesse Winker went from All-Star to having one of the worst seasons of his career two years later, as the back and neck injuries that plagued him early in his career severely limited him in 2022 and 2023. There were times when Winker couldn’t help but wonder if this was the end of his baseball career. You can hardly blame him. Injuries and a prolonged free agency like Winker’s last winter can do that to a player.
Winker used the offseason to improve his body and revise his swing.
The result? The 30-year-old outfielder went from signing a minor league contract with the rebuilding Washington Nationals to hitting behind Pete Alonso in the playoff race. The Mets acquired Winker last weekend before the trade deadline to add a more powerful left-handed hitter, validating Winker’s offseason work and his belief that he can return to the player he once was.
“I think health played a big part in it, for sure, and there were some things I did in the offseason with hitting,” Winker told the Daily News this weekend at Angel Stadium. “A lot of it was getting healthy, getting my body in a state it’s never been in. Then, honestly, hitting the ball the right way was the main goal. I have some really good people to thank for that.”
After hitting .199/.320/.567 in 61 games with the Milwaukee Brewers last season, Winker focused on getting his back in shape and hitting the ball. His agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, connected him with Tyler Krieger of Maven Baseball Lab in Atlanta, where they use 3D motion capture technology and force plates to analyze movement and mechanics.
Winker’s swing has “changed a lot.”
“It really opened my eyes to some of these pillars of hitting, which, basically, if you analyze all the really good hitters, what they do,” Winker said. “So it was really like learning that information and trying to make it my own. It’s not complete, but I feel like I’ve made some good progress and I’m looking forward to continuing to work and learn.”
The progress he’s made has helped him improve his exit velocity and hard-hit rate. Winker still combines a patient approach with a low chase rate, but he’s making more quality contact now than he has in the last two seasons.
Winker has an .838 OPS against right-handed pitchers with 10 home runs this year.
“I learned how to gather, I learned how to stay through the ball and chase it,” he said. “But honestly, I really learned the mechanics of the swing and everything that goes with it.”
He also learned to be honest with himself and the coaching staff. Professional athletes have long been told to play through pain, and when faced with the possibility of losing a spot, the pressure can intensify. Winker has had to change some of his processes in order to get healthy and avoid further injury.
The Mets have done their best to foster an open culture when it comes to injuries, with the team often praising players who tell coaches when something is wrong. Whether that trend is changing or not, Winker appears to be in a good place with a team that feels like a good fit.
He received plenty of praise in the outfield, playing primarily in right field. Winker hadn’t played right field consistently since 2018, but that allows the Mets to continue moving Jeff McNeil around the field.
“He looks good,” manager Carlos Mendoza said recently of Winker’s play in right field. “He’s moving well.”
With his health and good hitting ability, Winker is enjoying the situation, enjoying playing for a team on the rise to the playoffs and enjoying playing in New York, where he is close to his family in the Buffalo area.
Her 4-year-old daughter is happy too.
“Every day I call her and she says, ‘Let’s go, Mets,’” Winker said. “She’s got what it takes.”
PROGRESSION
The Mets are set to promote right-hander Brandon Sproat to Triple-A Syracuse. The organization’s No. 5 prospect, Sproat is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA in 16 starts (17 appearances) this season between High-A and Double-A.
In his last appearance with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the 2023 second-round pick pitched five innings and struck out 13 batters.
TRANSACTIONS
Left-hander Jake Diekman was released Saturday after being waived.
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