Travis d'Arnaud by all accounts is one of absolute kindest and most genuine humans you will come across in the game of baseball. However, that doesn't mean Travis will spare feelings of a certain former home of his when he was put on the spot at Braves Fest.
The question d'Arnaud was asked was "Which team makes you the most angry when you play against them?" You can see Travis pause to build up the tension, before ultimately deciding to give his honest answer.
The smirk. The extended pause. The answer.
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) January 30, 2024
Absolute cinema from Travis d'Arnaud 🎬 pic.twitter.com/LFe7HH6cug
Now there is a number of ways you can take his mentioning of the Mets here. The first is, it's just d'Arnaud's humor and attempt to endure himself to Braves fans even more by picking at one of their biggest rival. Although, in that same clip you can hear someone suggest Bryce Harper (meaning the Phillies) and Travis quickly shut that down.
Another possible meaning comes from d'Arnaud's preparation as a big league catcher. Facing the pesky Mets lineup, who foul off a TON of pitches, can make facing them frustrating for sure. However, the reason I find most likely to be the root of Travis' answer is the way his Mets tenure ended.
d'Arnaud debuted with the Mets and had some more than solid years in Queens. However, in 2019 d'Arnaud got off to a slow start thus prevoking the Mets to cut ties with the often injuried catcher. He didn't let that crush him though, as he found his footing in Tampa Bay for the remainder of the season.
Braves fans know the rest, as d'Arnaud would sign with Atlanta ahead of the 2020 season. Since then, he has produced 7.1 fWAR and 106 wRC+ in 285 games played via Fangraphs. The on-field production, postseason heroics, and clubhouse leadership has been the catalysts to making Travis a fan favorite in Atlanta. These latest comments regarding the Mets will only grow his legendary status among Braves fans.