Lifelong fan Zack Short looking forward to ‘pretty special’ Mets debut
Zack Short grew up watching Mets games “basically every day,” and on Thursday, the Kingston, N.Y. native will take the field for that same club in their Opening Day matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns announced on Sunday that Short has cracked the big-league roster out of camp, filling one of the final bench spots over the likes of Mark Vientos and Ji Man Choi.
“It was a pretty special morning,” Short said. “I’ve never made an Opening Day team before so it’s pretty cool, especially all offseason, I was claimed pretty early so I never knew what the plans were so I just tried to stay in my lane and do my thing.
“Thursday is going to be very special, it still hasn’t really hit me yet. I haven’t played at Citi before, so I think that drive in and putting on the real jersey for the first time is going to hit pretty special.”
Short was drafted in the 17th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Sacred Heart University by the Cubs, but he didn’t make his big-league debut until five years later with the Tigers, where he spent the past three seasons.
The infielder has been more known for his versatility and terrific defense over the course of his pro career, but during his early days with the Mets, he’s shown some positive signs at the plate.
With just two spring games remaining before the real thing, he’s recorded four extra-base hits, eight RBI, three stolen bases, and a .839 OPS through 36 spring at-bats.
The 28-year-old has left Stearns and first-year manager Carlos Mendoza impressed with the adjustments he’s made at the plate, and he’s hoping to be able to carry over that success to the regular season.
“I got to work early this offseason,” he said. “It was kind of a look-in-the-mirror type of situation where it’s like you can keep going down this path fighting for your life every day, or you can try to switch something, and if you’re going to go down at least you go down with a fight.
“I’ve flipped what I’ve done in the past, I really brought into trying to stay back and fighting and realizing it’s not all going to flip in one day. I’ve felt it a lot, I just have to keep taking things day-by-day and it all starts on Thursday.”
