Former Blue Jays player Danny Barnes says he is trying to help Mets pitchers in ways he was never helped in TO
Photo credit: Blue Bird Banter
Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Danny Barnes is now the strategy coach for the New York Mets and stated he is trying to help players in ways that he never had during his time as a player.
Barnes was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 35th round of the 2010 MLB draft but had a short lived career in the majors only playing from 2016 to 2018 before bouncing around a few minor league teams then becoming a coach at 32 years old with the Mets.
Danny Barnes is trying to help New York Mets player with strategies he was never able to get
Barnes was hired by the Mets as a strategy coach as he focuses on analytics and helping players use this type of information to their advantage to improve their game on the field.
As the strategy coach on manager Carlos Mendoza's New York Mets staff, Barnes' focus is on helping players utilize the type of information he wishes was available to him during his days on the mound, among other tasks. It's a position the 34-year-old never envisioned for himself after the 2020 pandemic season shelved his progress with the Baltimore Orioles, whom he joined on a minor-league deal after an injury-marred 2019 with the Blue Jays. -Davidi
Barnes stated that he wishes he wished he had access to this type of information during his playing days and he would have spent more time developing his slider and other pitches instead of always trying to focus on his fastball.
«I wouldn't have had to throw George Springer 10 fastballs in a row and hope he misses one,» he continued. «I would have actually developed a slider or sweeper or whatever it is that's moving left and known how to execute it well.»
Clearly Barnes believe he has a valuable position in the Mets organization and if he would have had access to a coach like himself during his time in Toronto, his career might have lasted longer.
Previously on Blue Jays Insider
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