PORT ST. LUCIE — Travis d’Arnaud has heard all the negative talk. That this is his last chance as Mets catcher.
D’Arnaud is ready to quiet the critics, saying he unlocked the key to his swing last September and refined that swing this offseason. He has a new lease on his baseball life with new manager Mickey Callaway and plans to make the most of it this season.
That’s one reason why he came early to camp.
“Mickey and I are on the same wavelength, we’re going to ride the same wave,’’ d’Arnaud told The Post on Monday at First Data Field.
D’Arnaud said he “absolutely’’ has a chip on his shoulder.
“I feel like I always have something to prove,’’ he said. “There’s always doubters. I just want to prove people wrong. And this year I’m really excited.’’
This is a big year for d’Arnaud, who turns 29 next week.
The Mets are betting d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki combine to give them the solid catching they need to make the most of a talented, but injured staff that is trying to come back together. D’Arnaud is all for the shared catching duties. The two catchers are close friends and d’Arnaud said they bring out the best in each other as they did last September.
For the season d’Arnaud produced a .244/.293/.443 slash line. In September, however, after making a key adjustment at the plate, his slash line was .297/.343/.656.
That is who he is as a hitter, d’Arnaud said after a workout that included catching an impressive Jacob deGrom bullpen session.
What’s the adjustment d’Arnaud made? Are you ready?
He kept his eye on the baseball. Something so simple has proven to be so complex.
“It’s weird,’’ d’Arnaud said. “All I have to do is keep my eye on the baseball. If I pull my head at all, my natural loft swing cuts off because my body can’t get through.’’
D’Arnaud, a free agent after 2019, said a suggestion made to him by former hitting coach Kevin Long got him rolling.
This winter d’Arnaud went to Arizona for a refresher course with Pat Roessler, Long’s former assistant who is now the hitting coach as Long moved on to the Nationals.
“Every swing now, even off the tee, I just keep my head down,’’ d’Arnaud said. “K-Long told me in the beginning of September, ‘Let the crowd tell you if it’s gone, you don’t need to see it.’ ’’
This was a busy offseason. In November d’Arnaud got married.
“Kevin [Plawecki] was the groomsman at my wedding,’’ d’Arnaud said. “His wife was a bridesmaid for my wife, Britney.’’
After a honeymoon to Maui and a trip to Italy, it’s time to get to work.
Callaway, who replaced Terry Collins, offers d’Arnaud a fresh start.
“He’s passionate, he’s gritty and he cares,’’ Callaway said. “That’s what matters the most, you can improve on whatever you need to improve on from there.’’
It is up to d’Arnaud to stay healthy and produce. He played 112 games last season, the most he has ever played as injuries continue to plague him. He hit .302 versus lefties and .225 versus righties last season, while Plawecki hit .270 versus righties and just .231 versus lefties.
While their strengths at the plate can complement each other, the pair also complement each other working with pitchers.
“Kevin [Plawecki] and I work so well together,” d’Arnaud said. “We’re very open about what we see in pitchers.’’
Callaway’s pitching coach experience will help. “He really knows his pitching stuff and now we have another great set of eyes on the pitchers,’’ d’Arnaud said.
“I want us to go out there and just win,’’ d’Arnaud said. “Jake looked phenomenal today. [Noah] Syndergaard looked so good when he came back. Matt Harvey is working hard. He worked out in Newport Beach and I think he has a chip on his shoulder that he wants to do well. He’s still got that bulldog mentally that people forget about. He got his velo back. I’ve seen some video, he looks good, he’s painting [the corners].’’
D’Arnaud has that chip, too, and wants to prove doubters wrong.
“It’s a fresh start,’’ d’Arnaud said. “It will be a fun year. I’m going to continue what I did in September. I have a lot of confidence.’’
He needs to make September last the whole year long.