NY Mets: 1 thing that went right, 2 that went wrong for James McCann

James McCann’s first year with the New York Mets didn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations many had for the veteran catcher. One of the first major additions added to the roster last offseason, he wasn’t nearly the big splash we anticipated he could be.

Typically, you could find McCann low in the Mets lineup. There was even a time when he lost some days to Tomas Nido.

This was only year one of four for him. With a chance to bounce back next year, let’s take a look at one thing that went right for him and a pair of things that went wrong.

What went right: James McCann was the defender the Mets thought he was

Defensive statistics aren’t always the easiest to comprehend. Personally, I find a lot of them misleading.

What’s not misleading is how well McCann played behind the plate this year. He didn’t get any complaints either which goes to show something that never shows up on the stat sheet. He is capable of having good chemistry with the pitchers.

McCann had a caught stealing percentage of 27% which was right above the 25% league-wide. He had a defensive WAR of just 0.2 which is actually tied for the lowest of his career in any full season. Nevertheless, I found him reliable and dependable. Maybe this was in part because he was replacing two years of Wilson Ramos.

While McCann wasn’t a Gold Glove-caliber backstop for the Mets, I think he held up his end of the bargain when there was a glove on his left hand.