PORT ST. LUCIE — It will take a lot more than a solid start to spring training and one excellent day to erase the memory of Jay Bruce’s introduction to the Mets.
Still, hitting coach Kevin Long was struck by what the right fielder has been able to do — especially in Wednesday’s 8-7 win over the Red Sox in a split-squad game at First Data Field.
“That was some kind of game he played,” Long said. “Offensively and defensively, that was exciting.’’
There weren’t many games that could be described like that late last summer following Bruce’s arrival from Cincinnati, but Long was quick to point out Bruce did manage to recover a bit at the end of the regular season.
And Long said he isn’t surprised Bruce is playing well this March.
“He’s just relaxed,” Long said. “He knows he’s good. … He looked back on his [2016] season, and it was the first time he looked back and said, ‘I sucked in August, but you know what? The rest of my months were pretty consistent.’ He understands he’s a good player and been an All-Star.”
That bad month was especially ill-timed, as it came immediately following his trade to the Mets. He finished August with an OPS of .552. He didn’t have another month under .793.
His attempt to keep that month in the past continued Wednesday when he homered off a light pole in the fourth inning off Boston’s Rick Porcello and doubled to right in the fifth.
“Certainly the start he got off to in New York wasn’t ideal,” Long said. “But he was able to overcome it, and if he’s anything close to what we saw today, wow. He took a ball off the plate away and hit a home run. Then a 3-0 pitch, he smokes to right field. He’s looked good pretty much all spring, but today was exciting.”
Bruce wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about his results — knowing they don’t count for much — but he will take them.
“I feel comfortable, but there’s plenty of work left to do,” Bruce said.