NEW YORK -- It took 2 1/2 months to find the right formula, but the Padres are finally getting the production they envisioned behind the plate.
The longstanding Francisco Mejía/Austin Hedges debate was never an either/or proposition. It was always a matter of finding the optimal playing-time balance between the two catchers. Over the past month, the Padres might have struck it.
Since Mejia was recalled on June 17, San Diego catchers have been the seventh-most valuable group at that position according to FanGraphs WAR. (In the 2 1/2 months before that, they were ranked 17th.)
"These guys have found a little bit of a rhythm," said manager Andy Green. "We're doing what we can to keep them both fresh and pick matchups we think favor them as much as humanly possible. Sometimes that's who they're catching. Sometimes it's who they're facing. But ultimately those guys have done a nice job here lately."
The effectiveness of the tandem was on full display Wednesday night. Hedges had two hits and drove in two runs, while backstopping a solid performance from four pitchers. Mejia came off the bench with a crucial single in the two-run eighth.
"Yeah, we're both happy after [last night]," Mejia said.
Mejia opened the season as something of a traditional backup for Hedges. He struggled with sporadic playing time before injuring his left knee and later being optioned to the Minors.
Thursday afternoon marked the 30th game since Mejia was recalled. As was expected, the Padres have significantly altered their split to give the 23-year-old Mejia more reps.
Mejia has started 18 of those 30 games, with Hedges getting 12. Factoring in three games that Hedges missed while on the bereavement list, it's been essentially a 55-45 split in Mejia's favor. On Thursday, Mejia went 2-for-4 in the Padres’ 4-0 loss to the Mets.
There's no obvious platoon advantage between the two. Mejia is a switch-hitter who's better from the right side, and Hedges is a reverse-splits righty. As a result, the Padres have chosen their starter on a day-to-day basis.
It seems to be working. Mejia is hitting .288/.358/.479 since his return, impressive splits for a rookie at any position, let alone catcher. Hedges, meanwhile, is batting .234/.288/.383, which doesn't seem all that impactful. But it's markedly better than his first couple months. And when paired with his elite defense, that's a solid slash line.
The two catchers, worth half a win apiece, have combined for 1 FanGraphs WAR in that span. That’s quality production, especially given the fact that it's increasingly unlikely for any team to have an "everyday" catcher. Last season, only the Cubs' Willson Contreras caught 75 percent of his team's innings.
Despite the role change, Hedges says he still envisions himself as the everyday-backstop type -- and maybe that's the right mindset for any catcher to take.
"I'm prepared to play every day," Hedges said. "I'm just trying to treat every day the same, whatever I can do. When my name's called, I've got to go in there and perform. It's not anything different once the game starts. Nothing changes."
On the days Hedges starts, Mejia offers a distinct advantage off the bench, too. Take Wednesday, for example. The Mets had righty Jeurys Familia on the mound and lefty Luis Avilan getting loose.
The Padres' other bench options were limited by their splits and their handedness. Mejia was not. He came to the plate as a lefty. When Avilan was called upon, he switched to the right side. Then he swatted a single into right-center.
"The fact that I can hit from both sides causes that," Mejia said. "The team has to figure out who they want to bring in, if they want to bring in a righty or if they want to bring in a lefty. I think that matters."
In the eyes of his skipper, it certainly does.
"When they've got the lefty up in the bullpen, and the righty on the mound, and I don't know which way they're going to go, I've got this nice switch-hit piece that I feel good about," Green said.
Of course, that leaves the Padres exposed in the event of an injury to Hedges. In that case, Hunter Renfroe has been informed he’s the emergency catcher.
But that’s a risk the club is willing to take, given Mejia’s value as a bench bat -- value that’s only increased by the fact he’s playing regularly, which puts him in a better rhythm at the plate.
It worked in a big way on Wednesday night. Mejia’s single helped extend the Padres’ lead, which allowed them to avoid using closer Kirby Yates.
In reality, though, the Padres’ catching platoon has been working nicely for more than a month.