Mets See A Turnaround For Thompson
NEW YORK—While playing at Westminster Christian High in Miami, David Thompson broke Prince Fielder’s career prep home run record for the state of Florida.
Thompson then had an accomplished career at Miami and landed with the Mets as a fourth-round pick in 2015. Now, the 22-year-old third baseman is off to a fast start at low Class A Columbia.
He led the South Atlantic League with 36 RBIs through 32 games while hitting .299/.370/.496 with 16 extra-base hits, including three home runs.
Thompson hit just .218 and slugged .320 in 59 games at short-season Brooklyn last season in his pro debut. The Mets believe he ran out of gas, having reported shortly after playing through the College World Series.
“I was tired, but I just had a bad year swinging at some bad pitches,” said Thompson, a righthanded batter. “I didn’t play too well.”
Thompson acknowledged that he is still trying to improve his selectivity at the plate.
“I’m still getting myself out too much by swinging at bad pitches,” he said, “but I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better at swinging at my pitch instead of a pitcher’s pitch. I’m still working on that.”
Thompson had drawn 11 walks against 26 strikeouts in the early going.
The Mets have been complimentary of Thompson’s defense, though the third baseman concedes he does not have a rifle arm. He twice had shoulder surgery on his labrum and also had a procedure in college to address thoracic outlet syndrome, which involved removing a rib and troublesome vein.
“I’ve always considered myself a pretty good third baseman,” Thompson said. “I get ragged on about my arm a lot, but my arm is feeling pretty good, and I feel like I can get the ball there in time.
“I’ve still got a lot of work to do to get better, get quicker. But I like playing third and feel like I do a pretty good job.”
METAMORPHOSES
• Columbia outfielder Tucker Tharp, a 30th-round pick in 2014 out of Kansas, had surgery to repair multiple facial fractures after getting hit by a pitch by Lexington righthander Scott Blewett on April 28. Tharp’s vision was unaffected.
• Double-A Binghamton second baseman Jeff McNeil, who finished second in the Florida State League batting race (.312) in 2015, suffered a sports hernia that required surgery.
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