There’s clearly still some bad blood between Travis d’Arnaud and the New York Mets.
“Which team makes you the most angry every time you play?” a young fan asked d’Arnaud at a recent event.
d’Arnaud looked around the room and grinned.
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Travis d’Arnaud of the Atlanta Braves stands in the dugout before Game 4 of the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 12, 2023 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. (Kevin D. Lyles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
Then he turned to his young fan and answered.
“New York Mets,” he said grimly.
d’Arnaud is a World Series champion and 2022 All-Star for the Braves, and the 34-year-old knows some of his best baseball came from Atlanta. However, his first seven seasons in the majors were spent with the Mets before his relationship soured.
In 2019, the Mets signed d’Arnaud after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery the previous season.
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However, just 10 games into the season, the Mets waived him due to poor performance with just 2 hits in 23 at bats. There were also rumors that the team didn’t like d’Arnaud’s work behind the plate.
It’s worth noting that the former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies was acquired by the Mets in a trade that included RA Dickey heading to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets expected more from d’Arnaud than his .242/.303/.401 line in 407 games. He also struggled to stay healthy over his seven seasons with the club.
Travis d’Arnaud of the Atlanta Braves hits a two-run home run and runs on base against the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 2 of the Division Series at Trust Park in Atlanta on October 9, 2023. (Kevin D. Lyles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
d’Arnaud also commented on a post of the clip on Sportsnet New York’s Instagram page (New York is home to Mets broadcasts), writing, “I’m mad at myself for not playing well…and I want to finish 2015 on a high note.” I’m angry at myself for not being able to finish.” WS title. ”
d’Arnaud ultimately played one game with the Los Angeles Dodgers before landing in Tampa Bay with the Rays. d’Arnaud played in 92 games there, hitting .263/.323/.459 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs.
Atlanta then picked him up before the shortened 2020 season and he’s been there ever since. The Braves and Mets are rivals in the National League East.
But d’Arnaud clearly has another motive: he wants to remind his former team of what they are missing every time they play. d’Arnaud had a down year in 2023 after an All-Star campaign in 2022. He appeared in 74 games and had a batting average of .225 and an on-base percentage of .288.
However, against the Mets, he appeared in 103 at-bats in 26 career games, posting good results with a batting average of .326 and an on-base percentage of .398.
Travis d’Arnaud of the Atlanta Braves before Game 4 of the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 12, 2023 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. (Kevin D. Lyles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
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d’Arnaud is scheduled to share the catcher duties with Sean Murphy in 2024.
