ANAHEIM — Jesse Winker went from being an 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 significantly limited him in 2022 and 2023. There were times when Winker couldn’t help but wonder if that was it for his baseball career. You can hardly blame him. Injuries and a prolonged free agency like the one Winker had last winter will do that to a player.
Winker took the offseason to get his body into a better place and overhaul 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 a playoff chase. The Mets acquired Winker last weekend ahead of the trade deadline to add a more potent left-handed bat, validating Winker’s offseason work and his belief that he can get back to being the player he once was.
“I think health has been a huge part of that, for sure, and then some things I did in the offseason with the hitting,” Winker told the Daily News this weekend at Angel Stadium. “It was more so getting healthy, getting my body in a place where it’s kind of never been. Then honestly, hitting the ball correct was the main focus. I have some really good people to thank for that.”
After slashing just .199/.320/.567 in 61 games for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, Winker focused on getting his back healthy and barreling the ball. His agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, connected him with Tyler Krieger at Maven Baseball Lab in Atlanta, where they use 3D motion capture technology and force plates to analyze movement and mechanics.
Winker’s swing changed “a lot.”
“He really opened my eyes to some of these pillars of hitting that, essentially, if you broke down all the really good hitters, what they do,” Winker said. “And so it was really like learning that information and trying to make it your own. It’s not complete, but I feel like I’ve taken some good steps and I’m excited to continue to work and continue to learn.”
The steps he’s taken have helped improve his exit velocity and his hard-hit rate. Winker still combines a patient approach with a low chase rate, but he’s making more quality contact now than he did over the last two seasons.
Winker has an OPS of .838 against right-handed pitching with 10 home runs this year.
“I learned how to gather, I learned, like, staying through the ball and chasing the ball out,” he said. “But honestly, I really just learned about the mechanics of the swing and everything that goes into that.”
He also learned how to be honest with himself and the training staff. Professional athletes have long been told to play through pain and when one faces the possibility of losing a spot, that pressure can intensify. Winker had to change some of his processes in order to get healthy and prevent further injury.
The Mets have done their best to foster an open culture when it comes to injuries, with the team often lauding players who tell the trainers when something doesn’t feel quite right. Whether the tide is turning or not, Winker seems to be in the right place with a team that feels like the right fit.
He’s drawn high praise in the outfield, mostly playing in right field. Winker hadn’t played in right field consistently since 2018, but it allows the Mets to continue moving Jeff McNeil around the field.
“He’s looked good,” manager Carlos Mendoza recently said of Winker’s play in right field. “He’s moving around well.”
With his health and hitting in a good place, Winker is enjoying the ride, enjoying playing for a team in the midst of a playoff push and enjoying playing in New York, where he’s close to family in the Buffalo area.
His 4-year-old daughter is happy too.
“Every day I call her, she says ‘Let’s go Mets,’” Winker said. “She’s got it.”
MOVING UP
The Mets are set to promote right-hander Brandon Sproat to Triple-A Syracuse. The organization’s fifth-ranked prospect, Sproat is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA over 16 starts (17 appearances) this season between High-A and Double-A.
In his final appearance with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the 2023 second-round pick threw five innings and struck out 13 hitters.
TRANSACTIONS
Left-hander Jake Diekman was released Saturday after clearing waivers.
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