Port Street. LUCIE — Christian Pasch started in center field against the Nationals on Monday at Clover Park, but his future appears destined for Triple-A Syracuse, where the Mets will hope to unlock some tools on offense, where Pasch has already proven himself as an excellent defensive player.
His prowess at the position is not surprising, given his history.
The 27-year-old Bache signed with the Braves out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 and continued to wear No. 25 in the major leagues with Atlanta in 2021.
The decision to wear that number was an easy one for Bache, who spent all of last season with Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate Reno.
“When I was young, my dad was a huge Atlanta fan and would make me watch a lot of Andrew Jones videos,” Bacchi said recently through a translator. “From a defensive standpoint, I followed him.”
As far as pitches go, this was a very good pick, as Jones is headed to Cooperstown in large part because of how well he played center field during a 17-year major league career most of which he spent with the Braves.
After signing with the Braves and exiting the minor league system, Bache worked with Jones, who had been a coach with Atlanta after his playing career ended with the Yankees in 2012.
Jones will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer.
“After I met him, we had a good relationship, so I decided to wear his number,” Bache said.
“My first spring with the Braves, he was there and gave me advice and told me how to work on skills and tricks to help improve my ability on defense.”
He signed a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp in December and has looked good so far with his new team.
Bache entered Monday 11-for-25 with three extra-base hits in 11 Grapefruit League games, as the Mets remain hopeful he has the tools to become a player in the major leagues.
With Juan Soto at left, Luis Robert Jr. at center, and future prospect Carson Bing at right, there may not be room for Bash in Queens.
But he can still influence.
“He’s an elite defender,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Offensively, we saw him hit the ball hard up the middle and run the bases. There’s a lot of tools there. It’s good to see him getting results.”