“Pitchers Took It to Far”- Buck Showalter Furious After 12th New York Mets Star Gets Hit by Aggressive Pitching

New York Mets have started the season with a bang as they lead the NL East Division. However, in 12 games, 12 Mets batters have gotten hit by pitches. Mets manager Buck Showalter got quite disappointed after the 12th batter got hit yesterday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The New York Mets are highly disappointed as a pitch has hit their 12th batter in their 12th consecutive game. The streak started on April 3rd, 2022, when the Mets faced the Houston Astros during their Spring Training.

READ MORE: “It’s Not Funny”- New York Mets’ Manager Buck Showalter Raises Serious Concerns Over Injury Threatening Pitches

After yesterday’s hit by an Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher, manager Buck Showalter is not happy and has called for a change. 12 players getting hit in just the first week of the season is a big worry for the Mets.

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter expresses his disappointment

On April 16th, 2022, the New York Mets faced the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field, New York. The Diamondbacks won the game 3-2, but the match took a turn when Mets’ first baseman Dominic Smith got hit by pitcher Ryne Nelson in the 5th Inning. This hit tallied the count of 12 Mets batters getting hit in the very first week of the new MLB season.

Now after this hit streak for the Mets, Buck Showalter demands a change in the ball gripping style of the pitchers.
In an interview on WFAN, Showalter said, “Let’s be frank about it. Gripping a baseball, the pitchers took it too far with the Spider Tack (a sticky substance used for grip) and made it a pitching advantage with spin rate and everything. Now I’m not so sure we haven’t gone too far the other way. Trying to grip a baseball that’s been rubbed with mud in April and early May and October is real slick.”

Buck Showalter’s solution to the issue

Buck advocated for a new substance that can be of use as an alternative to the Spider Tack. He said, “I’ve always pushed for a universal pitching rag behind the mound where guys can tap their fingers, and you won’t have guys getting nearly as much. I think a lot of hit-by-pitches are guys who can’t grip the baseball.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Watch: New York Mets Star Francisco Lindor Blasts Home Runs From Both Sides of the Plate

Despite all these challenges and injury scares, the New York Mets have successfully pulled off to be the group stage leaders for now. In the MLB 2022 season, the Mets have played 9 games so far. Out of which, they won 6 games while losing 3.