N.Y. Mets: Getting Swept By Fish Should Be A Wake-Up Call

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

 

NEW YORK METS - Someone Tell The GM To Stop Treating Citi Field Like It's Some Kind Of Reliquary, And Get Back To Rebuilding A Baseball Team.


With a third of the regular season complete, the Mets are ten games under .500, with a 22-32 record - no surprise there.  But getting swept in Miami by the Fish should have served as a wake-up call that all is not right in Flushing - obviously.  I would feel a lot better about the general situation if only Sandy Alderson were conducting the season with greater emphasis on internal competition.  My idea this season was to empty out the toy box, see which prospects were most serviceable, which were broken, and which to donate away - not pick through some other club's garbage, and display a few pieces of junk at Citi Field like it's some kind of reliquary.


Among Team Sandy are very learned people, but sometimes I'm not sure they (all of them) get it.  Time is of the essence.  The Mets hierarchy have been afforded plenty of time and patience on our part, and are still partaking in the last few months of their grace period.  Even though 2014 is the target date for major changes with regards to baseball operations, the time to act with a strong sense of urgency towards that end is now - as should have been all season.  The trade deadline looms ahead, and there still exists too many uncertainties.  Think of it this way, the Mets are nine months away from Spring Training 2014.  This much IS certain - if the Mets entire business model does not change by next season, as promised, there will be a hellish fan backlash, unlike the Wilpons have never suffered through before.  So time is indeed of the essence.


Marlon Byrd, Rick Ankiel, LaTroy Hawkins, and Shaun Marcum should be deleted from this team post-haste.  Then, so as to prevent a bottleneck at the door, hold off on evicting Scott Rice and Scott Atchison until the exit clears.  That gives me six roster spots that I'll address shortly.


First, my plan involves collateral damage - sorry.  But I ask, what is Mike Baxter's MLB value to the Mets?  At Baxter's expense, I would promote Josh Satin to form a (less than full) platoon with Ike Davis at first base.  Satin is twenty-eight years old, hitting .312 and slugging an even .500 at Las Vegas.  Bring him up, showcase him, and attempt to trade him while his particular iron is hot.  In the mean time, if Ike Davis begins another dominant second half, so be it.  But instead of the old tired talk of sending Ike Davis down to Vegas, bring Satin to the Citi, and provide competition for Ike here.  If Josh Satin or Ike Davis, or both are not traded, it's back to Vegas for Satin....or not.  That all depends on Ike.


Truth is, the Mets couldn't promote Wilmer Flores to Flushing even if they wanted to.  They have nowhere to play him.  Or do they?  I would include Flores in any potential major trade.  However, with Ruben Tejada hurt, not to mention suffering through a horrendous season otherwise, this might be Flores' big chance to revert back to his original position of shortstop.  In Monday night's AAA game between Las Vegas and Fresno, Brandon Hicks played short, while Flores played second base.  On a side note, twenty-one year old 2B/SS Wilfredo Tovar is having his problems in Binghamton this season.  Depending how Ruben Tejada progresses this season, the Mets should open a window for Wilmer Flores at shortstop by July or August.


Acquiring Rick Ankiel and Marlon Byrd to play outfield were perhaps the most counter-productive decisions of the season.  Juan Lagares, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Collin Cowgill, Andrew Brown, and Jamie Hoffmann, are the AAA outfielders who perhaps should be getting the lion's share of two available positions.  While in Binghamton, Cory Vaughn and Cesar Puello are blazing their own paths towards Flushing.  Of course, the idea is to secure a legitimate slugger either at the trade deadline or during the off-season.  In the mean time, Ankiel and Byrd, who lack any worth to the Mets, are wasting valuable playing time that needs to be invested elsewhere...now.


That leaves me with four roster spots left.  Shaun Marcum's slot goes to Zack Wheeler.  The last three go to the bullpen.  I know LaTroy Hawkins is a somewhat serviceable reliever for us, but he too is wasting our time.  Along with Rice and Atchison, I'd kindly ask them to find employment elsewhere as none of them project into the Mets future.  In back-filling, I wouldn't dig too heavily into Binghamton's bullpen yet, but would consider promoting Mark Cohoon to share duties with Collin McHugh as the fifth starters, as well as making them work out of the bullpen together.  I would also commence a revolving door, starting with reliever Adam Kolarek, then transition to John Church.  This leaves top relievers Jack Leathersich, Jeff Walters and Chase Huchingson behind and untouched in Binghamton to continue their stellar campaigns and battling for first place.  While I also still have hopes for Josh Edgin, Jeurys Familia gets his spot back when he returns.


NOTE:  The St. Louis Cardinals employ a system where by they place their best pitching prospects into the bullpen and let them learn on the major league level.  The best pitchers graduate into the starting rotation.  Just saying.


Starting now, and increasingly so by mid-summer, I'd like to see the overall effort around here focused our own first.  A somewhat reconfigured 25-man roster could resemble this:


C - Travis d'Arnaud - John Buck
1B - Ike Davis - Josh Satin
2B - Daniel Murphy
SS - Ruben Tejada - Wilmer Flores
3B - David Wright
OF - Lucas Duda - Juan Lagares - Kirk Nieuwenhuis
OF - Collin Cowgill - Cory Vaughn/Cesar Puello

SP - Matt Harvey - Zack Wheeler - Jonathon Niese - Dillon Gee - Rafael Montero/Jeremy Hefner
RP - Bobby Parnell - Robert Carson - Brandon Lyon - Jeurys Familia
RP - Mark Cohoon/Collin McHugh - Adam Kolarek/John Church

25th man - Justin Turner, Greg Burke, other


This is by no means a solution.  It is part of a process.  The team clearly needs more enhancements that will come via trades and maybe even free agency.  But looking at such players now, will give us better clarity into the 2014 season - better than we've been achieving so far.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets: Build It In Binghamton, And They Will Come

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS - Breaking Through The Wall.  For Long Mets Prospects Have Hit A Dead End In Binghamton....


In recent years, there has been a renaissance in minor league development, but for long now, we've heard how AA is the new AAA.  Whenever assessing the health of the New York Mets minor league operations, I've always looked to Binghamton first.  For the great majority of minor league players, AA is the level demarcation.  Here, is the teetering point in a minor league player's career - a level where no one is allowed to linger long.  This is where players either get demoted, promoted, or disappear.  In general speak, under-perform and it's back to class-A.  If a player excels, he can potentially expect a major league debut within a reasonably quick time, with only so much as a brief stint in AAA.  Otherwise, time marches on for borderline players and perpetual bus riders excluded from the 40-man roster.  Facing those who cling-on long enough, inevitable waivers, Rule V, minor league free agency, or a jump to the independent circuits awaits them down the road.  Such is the life of an aspiring affiliated baseball player.


Triple-A ball, you have to admit, is overpopulated with rehab assignments, stop-gap one year free agents, and career minor leaguers.  Naturally, that comes with the territory of being a major league affiliate, but to an extent, these are all contrary to the developmental process.  Somewhere along the line, AAA players became akin to weeds - if they were hard to grow, everyone would want them in their gardens too.  Since I'm a little old school, l like to think playing at AAA still offers a genuinely quality experience, yet I understand the prevailing trend is to overindulge in AA players, and can't say that I'm opposed.


Crowning their inaugural season at Binghamton, and first as a New York Mets affiliate, the B-Mets won the 1992 Eastern League championship, repeating the feat two short years later.  The Mets long time AA affiliate of twenty-two years reached the playoffs again in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004, but not since.  The last time they finished above .500 came in 2008, when they concluded the season in third place with a 73-69 record.  Only one player from Binghamton's 2008 season currently plays for the Mets - David Wright.  In fact, there is nary a current major league player among the 2008 roster.  That's just one very strong indictment of their system among many.   Since 2008, the B-Mets have posted a 253-312 regular season record, finishing sixth once, and fifth three times. Extend out to encompass the eight year period covering the Omar Minaya and Sandy Alderson era, the Binghamton Mets have posted an overall 520-611 mark.  That said, maybe we can better appreciate the efforts of second year manager Pedro Lopez and the 2013 Binghamton Mets.


With a 26-20 record prior to Thursday's action, the B-Mets are currently tied for second most wins in the Eastern League, and lurk just one game out of first place.  They are one game over .500 on the road, and 15-10 at home.  Both offensively and on the mound, their overall team comparisons actually rank middle of the league.  They lead the circuit in one category, stolen bases, with fifty-three.  That's it.  Instead, they have a solid overall team effort going.


Individually, several players share responsibility for Binghamton's strong start.  More importantly however, two outfielders are trying to make themselves known to Mets hierarchy.  Cory Vaughn, 24, had a tremendous professional debut season with the 2010 Brooklyn Cyclones, leading the New York-Penn League with a .557 slugging average, as well as a .953 OPS.  He finished runner-up in both home runs with fourteen, and runs batted in with fifty-six, and batted .307 in 264 at-bats, all in what is widely considered to be a pitcher's league.  In light of this year's June 6th amateur draft,  Cory was a 2010 fourth round selection.  His performance and luster diminished somewhat during two seasons playing at Savannah and Port St. Lucie, as numbers of Mets fans soured on him as a future Flushing hopeful.  Presently making the most of this year's promotion to AA-Binghamton, Cory Vaughn is fresh off winning the Eastern League's offensive player of the week, for May 13th through the 19th.  For the season, he is batting .301 after 126 at-bats, and with fifteen walks his OBP is up to a .389 mark.  Vaughn has five doubles, five home runs and twenty-seven runs batted in.  Needless to say, after thirty-four games this season, he is making a compelling case for getting back in Mets fans good graces and maybe even earning a ticket to Flushing sometime soon, so as to help alleviate the big club's outfield woes.


Fellow outfielder, Cesar Puello, 22, was a young free agent signed out of the Dominican Republic, who started playing for the Mets Gulf Coast Rookie squad at age seventeen.  After full stints at Kingsport, Savannah and Port St. Lucie, the Mets promoted him to Binghamton for the 2013 season.  He is currently hitting .303 after 132 at-bats, and sports a .366 OBP.  He is slugging a career high  .523, with seven doubles, two triples, and a team leading six home runs.  His twenty-seven runs batted in tie him with Cory Vaughn for the team lead as well.  In thirty-nine games, he additionally has nine stolen bases, forty hits, and twenty-four runs scored.  His previous best season came in 2011 with St. Lucie, when he only batted .259, but hit twenty-one doubles, ten home runs and drove in fifty runs in 441 at-bats.  He displayed good speed with nineteen stolen bases, but lacked discipline at the plate, striking out 103 times.  With thirty-one strikeouts this season, he is off to another prolific rate.


Juan Lagares deserves an honorable mention after spending all of 2012 in Binghamton.  He batted .346 in seventy-eight at-bats for Las Vegas this season, and has been playing for the Flushing Mets since April 23rd.


Binghamton is an early season contender because of their pitching.  Starting with the bullpen, Jeff Walters, 25, was the Mets 2010 seventh round selection.  He currently leads the Eastern League with twelve saves.  He owns a 2.60 ERA after 17.1 innings pitched, has eighteen strikeouts, but allowed sixteen hits and five walks to give him a 1.212 WHiP.


Southpaw Jack Leathersich, 22, continues to pitch with eye-popping results.  A 2011 fifth round selection, he has sixteen appearances with 21.2 innings pitched as the set-up man.  Jack has limited opponents to just four earned runs for a 1.66 ERA.  Fourteen hits allowed and twelve walks give him a somewhat lofty 1.200 WHiP.  His H/9 average is down to 5.8, while his W/9 is improved at 5.9 percent.  His rate of strikeouts continues to skyrocket.  With thirty-eight strikeouts so far, he is averaging 15.8 per nine innings pitched.  Jack has two saves and has finished nine other games.


John Church, 26, was the Mets 23rd round selection of the 2009 draft.  I like him because he's big, as in 6'2'', 235 lbs., big.  Jack Leathersich tips the scale at 205 lbs., while Jeff Walters only comes in at 187 lbs.  In nineteen appearances and 23.1 innings pitched, Church has allowed six earned runs for a 2.31 ERA.  Surrendering nineteen hits and six walks gives him a 1.071 WHiP, a 7.3 H/9, and a 2.3 W/9.  His twenty-five strikeouts gives him a 9.6 K/9 average.


As the outfield and the bullpen are clearly what ail the New York Mets most, these aforementioned players can potentially help the Mets later this season, or by Opening Day 2014, or mid-summer thereof.  Additionally, next year's starting rotation stands to look quite differently than today's version.  By then, the Mets should be featuring Matt Harvey, Jon Niese and Zack Wheeler, complimented in the back of the rotation by the winners of an open competition.  Depending how the rest of Dillon Gee's 2013 campaign goes, he should no longer be a lock for the fourth spot in the rotation.  It stands to reason then, two spots in the starting rotation will be up for grabs next spring, if not sooner.


The 2014 regular season is still too early for tapping into the Mets cache of young pitching currently in Savannah and St. Lucie.  That's why we should sooner expect a pair of this year's Binghamton starters to join the upcoming competition.  With Rafael Montero temporarily in Las Vegas, Logan Everrett continues to solidify the B-Mets starting rotation.  Of course while in Binghamton, Montero is/was getting the lion's share of notoriety.  And why not?  In eight starts and 46.2 innings pitched, his ERA only recently escalated to a 3.47 mark.  Command of the strike zone however is what keeps pushing Montero through the Mets system.  He has only issued six walks while striking out fifty-four.  He averaged 10.4 K/9 and just 1.2 W/9 before being summoned to Las Vegas.  In his much hyped start for the 51's, he pitched 6.2 innings of four hit ball.  Montero allowed two earned runs, one home run, walked one batter, and struck out five, but turned out earning a hard luck loss.


Right-hander Logan Verrett, 22, continues leading Binghamton's rotation with a 6-2 record.  He has a 3.28 ERA after nine starts, and 60.1 innings pitched.  Logan has limited opponents to forty-nine hits, and issued fourteen walks for a respectable 1.044 WHiP.  With forty-five strikeouts and a 6.7 K/9 average, he is not the power pitcher so many others in the Mets system are.  However, in just his second full season of minor league ball, he's making quite a name for himself.


It is hard to predict how soon current select B-Mets can help the big club.  If you believe that if a player succeeds at AA, then the majors are not far off, there you go.  I imagine their continued levels of proficiency will decide how soon we'll ultimately see them in Flushing.  Of course we know success at this level guarantees nothing.  Case in point - Ike Davis, who in 2009 wielded a bat which contended for the Eastern League triple crown, currently has more problems than a math book.  Wilmer Flores batted  .311 for the B-Mets last season, but has yet to find his stroke with Las Vegas.  His replacement at shortstop, Wilfredo Tovar enjoyed a good second half promotion with the B's last year, but so far has stumbled out of the starting block this season as well.  Lastly, Cory Mazzoni is finally back to pitching regularly again.  Following his first start on April 4th, Mazzoni missed the next month, but has now reeled off three starts in May.  Cory is 2-1 in four starts this season, with a 3.60 ERA.  In twenty innings pitched, he has allowed twenty-five hits, but has only walked three batters and struck out eighteen.


The real point is to recognize there is life pumping through the arteries of Binghamton again.  In fact, the Binghamton Mets currently seem quite vigorous.  Recent drafting and replenishment of system's lower levels appear poised to pipeline Binghamton with promising prospects for a few more years to come.  Surely, this year's class and subsequent seasons of Binghamton baseball stand to provide their parent club with more than just one player worthy of major league play, unlike the paucity of promotable prospects on the B-Mets 2008 roster.


So, every time the 2013 New York Mets make you sick this season, take a look towards Binghamton to gauge the real health of the organization.  There is nothing overwhelmingly great going on their, but at the moment, the talent at Binghamton is good, and getting better.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets: Sandy Alderson's "Angle" in the Outfield

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

OF - Fernando Martinez

This Former Mets' Prospect Was a Major Bust.

He was said to be a five tool player.  Too bad none of them worked.

NEW YORK METS:

Organizational Summary; Minor League Outfield Prospects.

That's not a typing error.  I said angle, not angel.  What's Sandy Alderson's angle?  Or more to the point, how is he going to upgrade this outfield?


From left field to right, the grounds of Flushing beyond the infield are a veritable no man's land.  Even the guys who run chop-shops across the street from Citi Field's right field gate maintain a more stable living than the list of players who've roamed the grass lands of Citi Field in search of steady employment.  Two of the three Mets outfielders; Lucas Duda, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis; who helped launch the team to first half heights are currently elsewhere.  While Duda's return to the club is eminent, none-the-less, he is back playing in Buffalo.  Kirk Nieuwenhuis is even farther away from Flushing.  He's in Port St. Lucie attending to a torn plantar fascia in his right foot.


Left to man three outfield positions is a consortium of Andres Torres, Jordany Valdespin, Jason Bay, Jerry Hairston, and the recently activated Mike Baxter.  Maybe Mike Baxter is a personal favorite to some fans, and perhaps others have developed a liking for Jordany Valdespin.  That's all fine and well. But truth is, all three outfield positions are in dire need of upgrades - Major, major, upgrades.  And so personal tastes aside, we'll have to say good-bye to some of these players.  If not all of them...?


Lucas Duda is still the number one hopeful.  He was being counted on to increase the Mets power potential this season.  If that was one season too premature for placing such expectations on him, then we're all guilty as charged.  But there are still many people pulling for him, to include the organization. Thing is, when his head is screwed on straight, and he is feeling self-confident, he sweetly takes lefties to left field, and pulls right-handers with power.  But when he's down, he falls like an ACME safe in the desert.


I believe one of Lucas Duda's biggest problems, if not the biggest, was not having any protection behind him in the line-up.  Without Jason Bay, or any other right-handed bat protecting him, pitchers had no reason at all to offer Duda something appetizing, or remotely decent.  That can mess up any hitter's thinking.  Just look how the same scenario wreaked havoc on David Wright, until he readjusted.


The jury is still out on Kirk Neiuwenhuis.  All he is at this point, is a good story; until he got hurt that is.  Somewhere between his jump from AA-Binghampton to AAA-Buffalo, he lost his ability to hit double-digit home runs per season.  Now, injuries have taken a bite out of his season for the second consecutive year.


It is hard to determine what the Mets have in either player.  What Duda and Nieuwenhuis are not doing so far, is showing glimpses of stardom.  That might be unfair to say.  But at least show some consistency then.  They might yet earn another season to prove they are worthwhile players.  But they can just as easily get packaged and shipped in a trade without being terribly missed.  Am I right?


When it comes to Jason Bay, why beat a dead horse?  I know why.  Because he hasn't been shipped off to the glue factory yet.  The money owed him is just too prohibitive to negotiate or push out the door, which has served to paralyze the Mets and Jason Bay in place.  The club has made it clear they will not be eating the remainder of his contract which runs through next season.  The only hope here is the Winter months bring with them a surprise transaction.


Andres Torres must have eaten a lot of Wheaties during the 2010 season.  But the sun shines on a dog's posterior at least once a day too.  However well Andres played in that 2010 season, he never played like that before, and never came close to replicating that season again.  Just speaking on his one year as a Met so far, Sandy Alderson's pick-up has been an unmitigated failure.  There were low expectations for him to begin with.  But something from nothing, still leaves nothing.


Scott Hairston?  Sandy Alderson is holding on to him like a family heirloom.  That's his prerogative.  The Mets still need bench players.  Hairston not fooling any one either.  He is pretty much playing to the back of his baseball card.


That leaves Mike Baxter.  And what can we say about Mike Baxter?  See Scott Hairston.


So now what?  The only players the Mets have under control are the ones in their farm system.  For the moment, anything else is pure speculation.  Whether the Mets continue grooming these prospects for eventual play on the big club, or are just interested in turning them over for eventual upgrades is inconsequential.


For starters, here is a short list of the outfield seeds planted throughout the Mets farmland:

** MiLB Statistics as of August 13, 2012


Brandon Nimmo - Class-A NYPL.
Nineteen years old; Bats left.
He is currently batting .273 for the Brooklyn Cyclones.
In 183 at-bats - 31 runs, 18 doubles, 3 home runs, 25 rbi, .391 obp, .432 slg., 30 walks.

Brandon's is the story of two seasons - before he was inserted into the lead-off slot, and after being appointed lead-off batter.  On July 24th, he finished the day 1 for 3 hitting eighth in the order, and ended the day with a .228 average.  On July 25th, he was inserted into the lead-off spot.  The Cyclones have played eighteen games since then.  Brandon has batted ..375 over that span accumulating twenty-one hits in fifty-six at-bats.  He has raised his season average to a .277 mark now.  Brandon Nimmo is among the New York Penn League leaders in doubles, walks, and on-base percentage.


*


Dustin Lawley - Class-A; South Atlantic League.
Twenty-three years old; Bats left.
He is currently batting .277 for the Savanna Sand Gnats.
In 419 at-bats - 72 runs, 33 doubles, 13 home runs, 61 rbi, .353 obp, .463 slg.

Playing the majority of 2010 in Kingsport, Dustin is up-ticking during a full season with the Sand Gnats.  In 2010, he slugged .510 for the season.  Forty-nine of his 116 hits this season have been for extra bases.


*


Cory Vaughn - Class-A; Florida State League.
Twenty-three years old; Bats right.
He is currently batting .239 for the St. Lucie Mets.
In 397 at-bats - 63 runs, 20 doubles, 18 home runs, 54 rbi, .351 obp, .441 slg.

After a triumphant first season in Brooklyn, offensively, he has stayed fairly consistent through stops in Savanna and St. Lucie; all except for his batting average which has slid precipitously since his Brooklyn days.  He established a few offensive record for the Cyclones in his first professional season.  He should be making the jump to Binghampton next season.


*


Darrell Ceciliani - Class-A; Florida State League.
Twenty-two years old; Bats left.
He is currently batting .283 for the St. Lucie Mets in only fourteen games due to injury.

After a less than stellar showing in Kingsport in 2009, Darrell received a promotion to Brooklyn for the 2010 season.  His .351 season average qualified to win the New York Penn League's batting title.  But things haven't gone as smoothly for him since.  He battled injuries this season, and has only appeared in fourteen games so far for the St. Lucie Mets.


*


Joe Bonfe - Split time between A-St. Lucie and AA-Binghampton.
Twenty-four years old; Bats right.
With A-St. Lucie - .152 avg, 33 at-bats, 4 runs, 1 double, 3 rbi.
With AA-Binghampton - .318 avg, 44 at-bats, 7 hits, 1 double, 4 rbi.

He finished his first two seasons (2009, 2010) in the minors batting above the .300 mark.  After dipping in Savanna in 2011, he struggled early again in St. Lucie this season.  Regardless, he was pushed up to Binghampton where his numbers are now appear up to snuff again.


*


Juan Lagares - Class-AA; Eastern League.
Twenty-three years old; Bats right.
He is currently batting .281 for the Binghampton Mets.
In 427 at-bats - 63 runs, 24 doubles, 6 triples, 3 home runs, 42 rbi, 20 stolen bases, .336 obp.

Juan has been in the Mets possession since the 2006 season.  He finally made his state-side minor league debut in 2007 with Savanna.  Since then, every season has been an incremental uptick through the Mets system.  He now plays for Binghampton, sporting a career minor league .270 batting average.  Last season was his best.  Splitting time between St. Lucie and Binghampton, he batted .349 for the season, and slugged .500 on the nose.  In 471 at-bats, he had 71 rbi.


*


Matt Den Decker - Split time between AAA-Buffalo and AA-Binghampton.
Twenty-five years old; Bats left.
-With AA-Binghampton - .340 avg, 238 at-bats, 47 runs, 21 doubles, 8 home runs, 29 rbi, .397 obp, .563 slg, .960 ops.
-With AAA-Buffalo - .206 avg, 218 at-bats, 31 runs, 10 doubles, 8 home runs, 35 rbi, .241 obp

After raking for half a season in Binghampton, Matt has struggled in Buffalo.  Statistically speaking though, Matt might be the best prospect the Mets have to yet break into the Bigs.


*


That's the extent of what the Mets have in uniform, and under organizational control.  I think it is safe to say, up above and down below, the Mets are lacking a sensational outfielder.  If Sandy Alderson's master plan is designed for the 2013, and 2014 season, these are the Mets we will either see on the big club, or the bodies Sandy Alderson will use in trades.


Good luck with that, Boss.


Plain and simple - The Mets need power production.  Ike Davis is not going anywhere; at least we don't believe.  And the David Wright contract drama is still a bridge we must cross.  So traditionally speaking, the Mets must seek an infusion of power from their outfielders.  The Mets are one of seven National League teams not to break one-hundred home runs so far this season.  They currently rank eleventh in the National League, and twenty-fifth in all of Baseball.


Remarkably, the Mets have scored the seventh most runs in the senior circuit.  They additionally rank third in doubles, fifth in walks, and fifth in on-base percentage.  But when it comes to team slugging, they still remain under .400 and rank tenth in the National League.


In so many games, just a little more power could have provided the margin of error the Mets bullpen woes necessitated.  Offensively, if Ike Davis straightens himself out, and David Wright re-ups with the club, then just one formidable bat in either corner outfield position will do.


Team speed and a lead-off hitter is another conversation.  Or do you like Ruben Tejada leading off?  I would rather he didn't.




Mike/BTB