Tag Archives: Rod Barajas
With the All-Star break upon us, I thought it might be a good idea to look back at the first half performances of the Mets and hand out some appropriate grades. Today, I’m concentrating on the hitting and will grade the pitching in another post. This grading system is entirely subjective and I’ve tried to offer a little bit of commentary as to my perspective. But by all means, you are more than welcome to “argue” whether you think I was too generous or too hard in the comment section below.
David Wright– Grade A-
The power outage from last year appears to be a thing of the past as Wright is on pace for 26 homers, 122 RBI and 28 stolen bases. He currently leads the N.L. in RBI and his .392 OBP is one of the best. The largest blemish on Wright’s season has been his accelerated strikeout pace which could see him net 180+ by season end. But the good news is that he has slowed down considerably with 62% of his K’s coming in the first 44 games and 38% coming in the remaining 43 games. Deserving of his All-Star start at third base.
Angel Pagan– Grade B+
Pagan’s 2010 campaign has been one of the nicest surprises of the season. It was frustrating to see him lose playing time to Gary Matthews Jr. at the start of the season but common sense and talent prevailed. Pagan’s .315 batting average and .372 OBP have prompted manager Jerry Manuel to start trying Pagan out in the leadoff spot. He’s been one of the most consistent contributors this season and is playing much “smarter” baseball than he did a year ago. It seems that his head and the natural talents are coming together. When Beltran returns, the Mets will need to find a place for Pagan in the outfield as his offensive output has been a catalyst all season long.
Ike Davis– Grade B
This may be considered a somewhat generous grade for a rookie batting just .258. But Davis’ overall stats plus 11 home runs rival the much ballyhooed Atlanta rookie Jason Heyward. Davis’ promotion to the big leagues on April 19th seemed to have ignited the team as a whole as the Mets won 10 of 11 games when he was first inserted into the lineup. Overall the Mets are 44-31 (.587 win pct) since he joined the team and Mike Jacobs was shown the door. Davis has also been a tremendous defensive asset and his play certainly grabbed the attention of the Seattle Mariners as they were impressed enough with Davis to make him the main piece in a potential Cliff Lee trade.
Jose Reyes– Grade B-
The good news for Reyes was that his absence at the start of the season was far shorter than originally projected. He started off the season sluggishly but by mid-May turned up the heat and hit .327 down the stretch to the AS break. However, his overall .317 OBP is very poor and that has certainly hampered his stolen base totals as he only has 19 on the season so far. Hopefully, the few days off will provide some relief from his current oblique injury. I guess we should be thankful it’s not the legs.
Jeff Francoeur– Grade C+
Talk about a streaky season. Francoeur came out of the gate on fire but half way through April chilled for about a month hitting just .137 from April 17 to May 23. Since then he’s picked it up again and is batting a solid .292 the rest of the way. But he’s lack of plate discipline is a concern with an OBP of .302 which is not helped by all the first pitch swinging. In my opinion, Francoeur should be the odd man out once Beltran return with some spot starts here and there and pinch hitting. With the Mets’ tendency for injuries, Francoeur is nice insurance to have just in case.
Jason Bay C
Jason Bay, the biggest off-season signing, has yet to show anything close to the form that he displayed in Boston last year and 2008 and his years in Pittsburgh. The .265 average is about 15 points below his career but it’s really the home runs and RBI production that has been most noticeably absent. Perhaps most telling is that Bay has already tied his career high for triples in a season which currently matches his home run total at 6. Is Bay “spooked” by the cavernous gaps and high walls of CitiField? Has he just not been able to make the proper adjustments to the Big Apple as far as attitude? So far, fans have been patient with him, but having played in a high-demand city like Boston, Bay should be able to handle play in New York. He’ll need to step it up the second half if the Mets are to stay in the heat of the race.
Luis Castillo– Grade C
Some may feel that this grade is too lenient for Castillo and that his grade should be lower. Yes, the guy is injured half the time, but Castillo is what Castillo is. He’s not a guy who is going to hit for power (3 extra base hits all year), but his average should be higher than the current .241. But he does make contact with the ball (just 10 strikeouts) and he does have the ability to steal a base or two. He’s a complimentary player and that’s about it. The fact that he was given the contract he was given, is another story. But Castillo is an adequate player as long as we don’t have raised expectations of what his talents truly are.
Rod Barajas– Grade C-
Well, you just knew that Rod Barajas’ torrid home run pace was too good to be true. After starting off the season slamming 11 home runs in the first two months, Barajas hasn’t been able to find the seats since. He’s batted .183 for June and July with just 2 RBI and has an overall slash line for the season of .238/.276/.432. Barajas has started to lose more and more time to Josh Thole and that could be the pattern going forward unless Barajas is able to find a way to contribute more offensively. His defensive talents just aren’t strong enough to compensate for no hitting. The grade is based primarily on the plethora of home runs at the start of the season. Kudos for that.
Alex Cora– Grade D
I know that Cora is a great clubhouse guy and a good teammate and has a good understanding of the game. But that means nothing when we are taking about the production on the field. To date Cora’s slash line is .222/.283/.299. He’s making Castillo look like Chase Utley which is hard to do. He’s been inconsequential thus far and depending on Castillo and Reyes’ health, he may be needed to fill a larger role in the second half. Let’s hope not, but if he comes to that, we will need to see more than what he has produced the first part of the season.
So what do you think? Do these grades match up with your perspective? Too high? Too low? Let’s here what you think.
Leave a comment | tags: Alex Cora, Angel Pagan, Carlos Beltran, david Wright, Ike Davis, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, New York Mets Streak, Rod Barajas | posted in Uncategorized
What a great upcoming series this will be. The best team in the National League is travelling into Citi Field to face the best team in baseball!…What?…What am I talking about, you say? Well, the Mets DO have the best home record in Major League Baseball. So if they didn’t have to endure that huge inconvenience of going on the road every other week, they would have the best record in baseball! And since they’re at home for this series, I say it’s fair to call them the best team in baseball until Friday, when they turn turn into one of the worst.
You’re also probably wondering how the San Diego Padres have the best record in the National League. I mean, this is an offense that has a .250 team batting average, have scored a mere 242 runs, and are second-to-last in the NL in home runs (42). Yet, even with their offensive struggles, the Friars sport a +54 run differential, the best in the National League.
The key has been their pitching. Coming into this series, the Padres lead MLB with a 3.02 team ERA, are second in MLB with a .231 BAA and are third in the NL with 447 strikeouts. The starting staff has two underrated, young arms which will be facing the Mets this series: Mat Latos and Clayton Richard.
Richard’s last start came last Wednesday against the Mets in San Diego. He pitched well, going 6 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts in a no-decision. In that start he went up against Johan Santana, who was brilliant. Tonight, he goes up against another Mets starter who has been brilliant all year in Mike Pelfrey. Most of the following stats for Met hitters against Richard are a result of last week:
| METS HITTER |
AB
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
|
Alex Cora
|
6
|
.000
|
.143
|
.000
|
.143
|
|
Angel Pagan
|
6
|
.167
|
.167
|
.167
|
.333
|
|
David Wright
|
5
|
.200
|
.333
|
.200
|
.533
|
|
Jeff Francoeur
|
5
|
.400
|
.500
|
.400
|
.900
|
|
Rod Barajas
|
4
|
.250
|
.250
|
.500
|
.750
|
|
Fernando Tatis
|
3
|
.667
|
.667
|
1.000
|
1.667
|
|
Ike Davis
|
3
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
|
Henry Blanco
|
2
|
.000
|
.333
|
.000
|
.333
|
|
Jose Reyes
|
2
|
.000
|
.333
|
.000
|
.333
|
|
Jason Bay
|
2
|
1.000
|
1.000
|
1.000
|
2.000
|
Mat Latos takes the hill tomorrow night against Johan. Latos made one start against the Mets last season, where he went 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts in a 3-1 victory. Since that was his only appearance against the Amazin’s, posting player stats would be pointless. As for Santana, he has not allowed a run in his last two outings, yet doesn’t have a win to show for either, as the Mets offense totaled only 1 run in those starts and the bullpen was unable to hold things together.
In the series finale on Thursday afternoon, a resurgent Jon Garland will take on RA Dickey. Garland was a name thrown around during the off-season for the Mets, and has shown so far that he would have been a nice addition to the starting staff. So far this season, Garland is 6-3 with a 2.68 ERA. However, a 4.17 FIP suggests that could change soon. Most of Garland’s success this season has come from the ground ball, as he has a 52% ground ball rate. As for the Mets, here’s how they’ve stacked up against Garland over the years:
| METS HITTER |
AB
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
|
Rod Barajas
|
21
|
.333
|
.391
|
.762
|
1.153
|
|
Alex Cora
|
13
|
.231
|
.231
|
.385
|
.615
|
|
Henry Blanco
|
12
|
.167
|
.333
|
.250
|
.583
|
|
David Wright
|
10
|
.100
|
.100
|
.100
|
.200
|
|
Jeff Francoeur
|
10
|
.500
|
.583
|
.900
|
1.483
|
|
Fernando Tatis
|
4
|
.750
|
.833
|
1.000
|
1.833
|
|
Jose Reyes
|
3
|
.667
|
.667
|
1.333
|
2.000
|
|
Jason Bay
|
3
|
.333
|
.333
|
.333
|
.667
|
|
Angel Pagan
|
3
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
Weather stats (courtesy of weather.com): Tonight should be a nice night for baseball, with mostly sunny skies, tempratures in the low 70s and 11mph winds blowing from NW. If you have or were thinking about getting tickets for tomorrow’s game, however, hold up. The forecast calls for temperatures in the 60s and a 70% chance of rain. On Thursday, the forecast calls for a 30% chance of showers, with temperatures in the mid 70s and 12mph winds from NW.
Leave a comment | tags: Alex Cora, Angel Pagan, Clayton Richard, david Wright, Fernando Tatis, Henry Blanco, Ike Davis, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Johan Santana, Jon Garland, Jose Reyes, Mat Latos, Mike Pelfrey, RA Dickey, Rod Barajas, San Diego Padres | posted in Uncategorized
After what we’ll call an extended holiday break, I am back with the series preview! I know you’ve all been missing it so much. I mean, where else are you going to get such in depth analysis on upcoming Mets games? Anyway, the Mets continued to show us all that for as good as they are at home, they’re that bad on the road. The good news is they are back home for six games. The bad news is they open the weekend with a three game set against the Marlins, who are 6-1 against the Metropolitans this season, including that horrendous four game sweep in May.
The pitching matchups for this series are as follows: Anibal Sanchez vs. RA Dickey (Friday), Nate Robertson vs. Jonathon Niese (Saturday), Ricky Nolasco vs. Hisanori Takahashi.
RA has been more than serviceable in his short time with the Mets, but the question is will it continue? When comparing his career numbers with his numbers through three starts, most stats are very similar. The one that sticks out, however, if his FIP. RA has a career FIP of 5.15, but so far his FIP this season is 4.31. Tim Wakefield, probably the most notable current knuckleballer, sprots a career FIP of 4.72, so that shows that just how successful RA has been. Now, whether he can sustain that success or if his respectable FIP is just an example of small sample size will be found out through time, but the Mets have to be very happy with his contributions thus far.
Here’s a look at the Mets offense vs. Sanchez:
| METS HITTER |
AB
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
|
Jeff Francoeur
|
21
|
.190
|
.190
|
.381
|
.571
|
|
Jose Reyes
|
17
|
.118
|
.250
|
.176
|
.426
|
|
David Wright
|
15
|
.200
|
.294
|
.200
|
.494
|
|
Luis Castillo
|
7
|
.143
|
.250
|
.143
|
.393
|
|
Angel Pagan
|
6
|
.333
|
.429
|
.500
|
.929
|
|
Fernando Tatis
|
4
|
.500
|
.600
|
.500
|
1.100
|
|
Jason Bay
|
3
|
.333
|
.333
|
.333
|
.667
|
|
Ike Davis
|
3
|
.333
|
.333
|
.333
|
.667
|
|
Henry Blanco
|
2
|
.500
|
.500
|
2.000
|
2.500
|
|
Alex Cora
|
2
|
.500
|
.667
|
.500
|
1.167
|
|
Rod Barajas
|
2
|
.500
|
.667
|
1.000
|
1.667
|
|
Chris Carter
|
1
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
On Saturday, Jon Niese makes his return from the DL to face the team he suffered his hamstring injury against. Prior to getting hurt, Niese was struggling a bit, which is to be expected of any young pitcher. In his last full start against the Nationals, he only went 4.1 innings in which he threw 91 pitches and allowed 6 runs on 6 hits. Then in his next start, when he left in the third inning with the injury, he had thrown 46 pitches in 2+ innings, and allowed 5 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits. Hopefully the couple weeks he had to recover help him settle himself and go back to the way he pitched in April.
Meanwhile, the Mets will face off against Nate Robertson. Here’s a look at the team’s numbers against the journyman lefty:
| METS HITTER |
AB
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
|
Luis Castillo
|
26
|
.308
|
.379
|
.308
|
.687
|
|
Gary Matthews Jr.
|
18
|
.278
|
.316
|
.389
|
.705
|
|
Rod Barajas
|
18
|
.333
|
.400
|
.389
|
.789
|
|
Jason Bay
|
7
|
.286
|
.286
|
.286
|
.571
|
|
Henry Blanco
|
5
|
.600
|
.714
|
1.200
|
1.914
|
|
David Wright
|
5
|
.400
|
.333
|
1.000
|
1.333
|
|
Angel Pagan
|
5
|
.400
|
.500
|
.400
|
.900
|
|
Fernando Tatis
|
4
|
.250
|
.333
|
.250
|
.583
|
|
Jeff Francoeur
|
4
|
.500
|
.500
|
.750
|
1.250
|
|
Jose Reyss
|
3
|
.333
|
.333
|
.333
|
.667
|
|
Ike Davis
|
3
|
.333
|
.333
|
.667
|
1.000
|
The series wraps up Sunday with Hisanori Takahashi looking to rebound from his last start against the Padres, where he allowed more than just his first run as a starter. Takahashi allowed 6 runs on 8 hits in 4 innings. Despite that outing, Takahashi’s numbers are still outstanding, which just goes to show how well he’s been pitching this season. His FIP is an exceptional 2.79 and his K/9 rate is 9.64, despite only striking out just one batter Monday night in San Diego.
Every Mets fan knows the Mets have had success against Nolasco, so these big numbers shouldn’t be any surprise:
| METS HITTER |
AB
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
|
David Wright
|
41
|
.341
|
.386
|
.659
|
1.045
|
|
Jose Reyes
|
35
|
.400
|
.417
|
.743
|
1.160
|
|
Jeff Francoeur
|
26
|
.308
|
.321
|
.654
|
.975
|
|
Jason Bay
|
17
|
.235
|
.278
|
.294
|
.572
|
|
Luis Castillo
|
16
|
.375
|
.389
|
.375
|
.764
|
|
Fernando Tatis
|
9
|
.222
|
.222
|
.444
|
.667
|
|
Alex Cora
|
8
|
.500
|
.556
|
.875
|
1.431
|
|
Angel Pagan
|
8
|
.375
|
.500
|
.500
|
1.000
|
|
Rod Barajas
|
4
|
.250
|
.200
|
.250
|
.450
|
|
Henry Blanco
|
3
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
.000
|
|
Chris Carter
|
3
|
.333
|
.333
|
.333
|
.667
|
|
Gary Matthews Jr.
|
2
|
.000
|
.333
|
.000
|
.333
|
|
Ike Davis
|
2
|
.000
|
.333
|
.000
|
.333
|
Expect the Marlins outfielders to be playing as if their jobs are on the line because…well…they are, as top prospect Mike Stanton is rumored to be getting called up from AAA next week.
Leave a comment | tags: Alex Cora, Angel Pagan, Anibal Sanchez, Chris Carter, david Wright, Fernando Tatis, Gary Matthews Jr., Henry Blanco, Hisanori Takahashi, Ike Davis, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Jonathon Niese, Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, Marlins, Mets, Mike Stanton, Nate Robertson, R.A. Dickey, Ricky Nolasco, Rod Barajas | posted in Uncategorized
After the road trip from hell, the Mets come stumbling home and will open the first of a three game set with their crosstown rivals, and defending World Champions, the New York Yankees. Just what they need to get back on track! This homestand could very well determine the fate of Jerry Manuel and company, so some extra emphasis is added to this series, which will feature a couple of very interesting pitching matchups.
Tonight, Hisanori Takahashi will make his first Major League start against Javy Vazquez. Interleague play might be a huge break for Vazquez, whose 8.01 ERA and 6.48 FIP suggest that he can’t pitch in the American League. As for Takahashi, the 35 year old rookie has been one of the few bright spots for the Mets this year, posting a 2.69 FIP in 26 innings of relief. It will be interesting to see how long Manuel will stretch him out, as he has yet to throw more than 60 pitches. RA Dickey was apparently available in relief last night, so he should probably be available again tonight.
Here’s a look at how the Mets have stacked up against Vazquez. It’s worth noting Luis Castillo has a home run off him:
Saturday night should be an exciting night for my good friend and colleague, Matt Falzano, as Mike “he’s better than Phil Hughes” Pelfrey will go head-to-head with…the one and only Phil Hughes! Hughes has been stellar for the Yankees this year, posting a 2.25 ERA, 3.12 FIP, and an 8.59 K/9 ratio in the daunting AL East. Mike Pelfrey’s numbers, though good, are not quite as impressive: 3.02 ERA, 3.67 FIP, and a 6.04 K/9 ratio. It should be an interesting duel between two up and coming New York stars.
There is not nearly enough of a sample size for any Mets hitters to post a chart. Jason Bay has the most at-bats against Hughes and is 1-for-6 with four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Mark Teixeira has a .308 average off Big Pelf in 13 at bats.
The best matchup of the series will come in the finale Sunday night, as CC Sabathia goes up against Johan Santana. The last time Santana pitched on Sunday night was a total nightmare, so hopefully there won’t be a repeat performance. Johan has only struggled with two Yankees in his career: Derek Jeter (.423, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 26 AB) and Robinson Cano (.412, 1 RBI, 17 AB).
Heres a look at how the Mets have fared against Carsten Charles:
Weather stats (courtesy of weather.com): Unlike the last homestand, the Mets will be playing in some much better conditions. Tonight calls for 75 degrees and clear skies, with 11mph winds from ESE and Saturday will be the 71 with 9mph winds from the same direction. Sunday could be a little bit of a damper, however, as the forecast calls for a chance of showers and temperatures in the low-mid 60s with 10mph winds from ENE. According to weather.com the most favorable conditions for the Mets are day games (which there will be none of this series) with temperatures between 46 and 60 (also not happening) and winds out to left field (nope). Excellent!
1 comment | tags: Alex Cora, Angel Pagan, CC Sabathia, david Wright, Derek Jeter, Fernando Tatis, Gary Matthews Jr., Henry Blanco, Hisanori Takahashi, Jason Bay, Javy Vazquez, Jeff Francoeur, Jerry Manuel, Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, Mark Teixeira, Mets, Mike Pelfrey, New York Yankees, Phil Hughes, RA Dickey, Robinson Cano, Rod Barajas | posted in Uncategorized
When I talked about the importance of the rest of this road trip for the Mets on Monday, I didn’t expect to scare Mr. Wilpon so much that he and the rest of the front office felt the need to fly down to Atlanta to “talk” about things. Regardless, it seems as though management’s sudden sense of urgency didn’t seem to rub off on the team. Though they split the two game series in Atlanta, neither game featured an energized ball club that was determined to turn things around.
So now it’s onto the nation’s capital, where the Mets will look to take a winning streak into this weekend’s Subway Series. This short two game series will feature possibly the two least exciting pitching matchups you will ever see, with RA Dickey facing the ageless Livan Hernandez and John Maine going against Luis Atilano.
The former Met, Hernandez, has seemingly dipped into the Fountain of Youth early in the season, posting a 4-2 record and a 1.46 ERA. You might remember, He began his season with 7 shutout innings en route to a 5-0 victory over Johan Santana on April 11. But look a little closer and you’ll see he will probably show himself as Fool’s Gold sometime soon. His FIP is 4.90, over three full points greater than his ERA, and he has a LOB% of 98.6%. That last stat should come as no surprise to Mets fans, who know Livan is prone to give up many hits.
As for RA (I’m sorry, but I feel awkward having to type “Dickey”), he makes his Mets debut after a 4-2 record with a 2.42 ERA in AAA-Buffalo. The highlight of his season, and maybe his professional career, came on April 29 of this year against the Durham Bulls, when RA gave up a lead-off hit then went on to retire the next 27 batters in a row. Obviously, Crash Davis was not in the lineup.
While the Nationals will try to figure out how to handle RA’s knuckleball, here is how the Mets have fared against Livan (Note: David Wright will most likely get the night off tonight which, despite his numbers against Hernandez, is much needed):
Tomorrow, the series wil conclude with a re-match from May 10 at Citi Field, when Luis Atilano bested John Maine in a 3-2 Nats victory. Atilano did not allow a run in 5.1 innings, while Maine allowed 2 runs in 6 innings. This will only be the rookie’s second appearance against the Mets, so posting stats would be a waste of everybody’s time. As for Maine, he has handled the big bats of the Nationals pretty well. Ryan Zimmerman has a measley .189 average against him in 37 at-bats, though he does have two home runs. Adam Dunn has also struggled in 12 at-bats off Maine with a .167 average, and Josh Willingham is only hitting .154 in 13 at-bats. Each also have a home run off him, however.
Weather stats (courtesy of weather.com): Conditions will be mild tonight, with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60s and 6mph winds from the west. Tomorrow will be much of the same, with a daytime high of 79 degrees and winds blowing at 7mph from the north. The Mets have yet to win a game this season when it’s been greater than 70 degrees. The Nationals have won six.
Leave a comment | tags: Adam Dunn, Alex Cora, david Wright, Fernando Tatis, Gary Matthews Jr., Henry Blanco, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Johan Santana, John Maine, Jose Reyes, Josh Willingham, Livan Hernandez, Luis Atilano, Luis Castillo, R.A. Dickey, Rod Barajas, Ryan Zimmerman | posted in Uncategorized
Well if that wasn’t the weekend from hell, I don’t know what is. Thanks to the four game sweep of the Marlins, these next two short series could be pivitol for the fate of Jerry Manuel and co. With the Yankees visiting Citi Field this weekend, followed by the Phillies, if the Mets do not gather themselves in Atlanta and Washington, the 2010 season may have crashed and burned before we even get to Memorial Day.
Luckily the Mets get a break, as they will not have to face some of the great pitching the Braves have to offer. Tonight, Mike Pelfrey takes the mound against Derek Lowe. Big Pelf will have to be careful with Brian McCann, who has a .464 average against him with a home run and seven RBI. As for Lowe, Luis Castillo and David Wright have a nice stat line, but other than that the righty sinkerballer has kept Mets hitters in check.
Tomorrow, the Mets will catch a huge break as Kris Medlen will come out of the bullpen to make a spot start for the Braves, with Jair Jurrjens on the DL. Meanwhile, the Amazins will throw out Johan Santana. On paper, this is a gimmie game for the Mets, but as we all know, there really is no such thing with this team. The Braves have had some success off Johan. Troy Glaus has a .333 average in 24 ABs with a home run, and Chipper Jones has hit .294 off the Mets ace. Brian McCann also has two home runs off Santana.
The numbers for Met hitters against Medlen are rather useless to look at, but here they are nonetheless:
Weather stats (courtesy of weather.com): The weather for the series should be a non-factor, with temparatures expected to be in the upper 70s both nights. On Tuesday, there will be 13mph winds WNW, but that should have little impact, if any. This is all good news for the Mets, as they have won eight games in clear skies and have won 10 games with winds of less than 15mph.
Leave a comment | tags: Alex Cora, Angel Pagan, Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, david Wright, Derek Lowe, Fernando Tatis, Gary Matthews Jr., Henry Blanco, Jair Jurrjens, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, Kris Medlen, Luis Castillo, Mike Pelfrey, Rod Barajas, Troy Glaus | posted in Uncategorized
You heard rumblings before Saturday’s game against the Marlins that Jerry Manuel was going to mix things up. Changes were going to be made to the lineup in an effort to spark some offense. Well, Jerry did mix things up but it was hardly the great makeover as it had initially sounded. The one and only expected change that did occur was that Jose Reyes was back in the familiar leadoff spot and Angel Pagan landed in the three hole.
Manuel could have done a little bit more to tinker with the lineup such as move Rod Barajas up a notch in the order since he ‘s been on a good roll showing consistent power. It would also allow Jeff Francoeur to drop down a spot in the order to take a little pressure off of him since he’s been struggling. Pagan in the 3rd spot on Saturday was an interesting choice, as he doesn’t fit the image of a typical 3-hole hitter, but Manual does get kudos for imagination. Manuel obviously wasn’t entirely sold on that decision since Pagan was moved down to the seventh spot in the lineup for Sunday’s game. And with nothing else really working with the offense, Jerry might as well throw it against the wall and see if it sticks.
But the good news is that Reyes seemed to respond to his familiar spot at the top of the order as he commented that it felt like he was “home”. He went 2-for-5 on Saturday and 1-for-5 on Sunday. After some initial success batting third, Reyes faltered producing a slash line of .207/.253/.280. Not noted as one of the most patient hitters in baseball, Reyes seemed to be forcing the issue trying to generate some offense. But in attempt to be aggressive, his walk rate suffered, walking just 5.7% of the time. More significantly, he appeared to be reaching for pitches out of the strike zone more often at a rate of 34.8% compared to his career average of 25.3%.
The “Reyes Experiment” seemed a risky proposition as best. After just 11 games in the leadoff spot at the beginning of the season, Manuel made the decision to move Reyes down to the 3rd position. To some degree this made sense, especially with Carlos Beltran still on the mend from knee surgery. Manuel was obviously looking for a more offensively balanced lineup and with Reyes batting third, Pagan could provide the speed at the top of the lineup.
But was this really the most prudent move at the time? After all Reyes had virtually missed the entire season in 2009 playing just 36 games last year, logging only 147 AB’s. This was the same guy, while apparently healthy from leg issue, missed all of spring training with a hyperactive thyroid issue that hampered his ability to prepare properly for the beginning of the season. He rushed to get back on the field and made it back by April 10th only missing a handful of games. But with an abbreviated spring training, a thyroid condition that needed to be watched and managed and missing most of the 2009 season, Manuel felt that Reyes would be prepared to take on the responsibility of batting third in the lineup. A role that he had never taken on before. Forget about getting comfortable with a game that he hadn’t played in almost a year. Forget about just getting acclimated with a role that he’s comfortable with. Manuel opted to to put him in unfamiliar territory. The end result was that Reyes changed his game and his approach at the plate and struggled.
It was a rash move by Manuel. A move that makes one wonder if the manager truly understands his players. Whether he knows how to get the most out of them and puts them in positions where they have the best opportunities for success. To his credit, at least of now, the “Reyes Experiment” has been put aside. With the Mets reeling of late, at least Manuel recognized that it was time to abandon this idea. You have to give credit to Manuel for thinking outside of the box. But the timing of it is where the fault lies.
Hopefully now that Reyes is “home” he will be able to excel, not just with his bat but with his legs. Hopefully the team will excel along with him.
Leave a comment | tags: Angel Pagan, Jerry Manuel, Jose Reyes, New York Mets, Rod Barajas | posted in Uncategorized
After a 3-3 home stand which showed the Mets actually have a little fight in them, the Amazins will now hit the beach for a four game series with the Marlins. There are some interesting pitching match-ups for this series, tonight’s in particular, with Johan Santana going up against Josh Johnson. The Mets got to Johnson on Opening Day, getting four runs off him in five innings en route to a 7-1 victory. Meanwhile, Santana has dominated the Fish in his Mets career. Out of all Marlins hitters with 10 or more at-bats against Johan, Jorge Cantu leads the way with a .259 average. Here’s a look at how the Metsies have fared against Johnson:
On Friday, everybody’s favorite pitcher, Oliver Perez, will face-off against the other prospect in the Josh Beckett-for-Hanley Ramirez trade, Anibal Sanchez. Ollie will want to look out for Cody Ross, who has a career .346 average with three home runs and 10 RBI against him. In reality, this could be a win-win situation for the Mets. If Ollie pitches well and the Mets win, then it’s a good day. If Ollie pitches like Ollie, then perhaps we finally see the Mets do some shaking up in their starting rotation. As far as the other side of the coin goes, here’s a look at the Mets numbers against Sanchez, whose 4.08 ERA might be a little misleading, as he has a 3.45 FIP:
On Saturday, the reborn John Maine hits the bump against Nate Robertson. Robertson had a nice start against the Mets in the third game of the year, allowing one run over five innings while striking out four. As for Maine, say what you want about his fastball, it’s working. His last three games have all been quality starts in which he has struck out 20 batters in 18 innings.
Look for Luis Castillo to have a nice game at the plate to help Maine out.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon with Jonathon Niese taking on Ricky Nolasco. It looks like Niese has hit the inevitable bump in the road for any young pitcher, having given up 10 runs on 18 hits in his last two starts, his latest which saw him go only four and a third innings. He was decent in his first start of the year against the Marlins, however, going six strong and allowing three runs in a 3-1 loss. Lucky for him, this time he will be matching up against Nolasco, who the Mets feast off of:
Weather stats (courtesy of weather.com): The Mets will be estatic to get out of the blistering cold in New York and into the gorgeous sunshine in Miami. All four games call for temperatures in the mid-high 80s, though strong winds are also expected. The Mets have played only one game this year when it was over 80 degrees, which they lost.
Leave a comment | tags: Alex Cora, Angel Pagan, Anibal Sanchez, david Wright, Fernando Tatis, Gary Matthews Jr., Hanley Ramirez, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Johan Santana, John Maine, Jonathon Niese, Jorge Cantu, Jose Reyes, Josh Beckett, Josh Johnson, Josh Thole, Luis Castillo, Nate Robertson, Oliver Perez, Ricky Nolasco, Rod Barajas | posted in Uncategorized
After taking two of three from the Giants, the Mets will conclude their homestand with a three game series against the team they’re currently tied with for second place in the NL East, the Washington Nationals. Yes, you read that right, the Nationals are tied for second place. Are they for real? Perhaps we will find out over the next few days.
Tonight’s opening matchup features John Maine vs. Nationals rookie Luis Atilano. Atilano is 2-0 in three games this season with a 4.67 ERA and a 4.88 WHIP. As for Maine, the Mets hope he can continue his improvements from the last two starts, in which he struck out 15 batters in 12 innings. However, hitters have a .342 BABIP against Maine so far this season. The good news is, the Nats have not had much success off Maine, with Wil Nieves being the only player with a batting average over .300 against him in only five at-bats.
On Tuesday, Jon Niese will look to get back on track when he goes up against fellow lefty Scott Olsen. Olsen, who is coming off a start in which he threw 7.1 no-hit innings against the Braves last Thursday, is no stranger to the Mets. He has not had much success either, having a career 1-6 record with a 4.61 ERA against the Amazin’s. As you will see, Jose Reyes has especially torched Olsen, and David Wright has three home runs off him as well. Also, don’t be surprised to see Fernando Tatis in the starting lineup.
The series concludes Wednesday afternoon, with Mike Pelfrey taking on Craig Stammen. Big Pelf rebounded nicely from his nightmare in Philadelphia, pitching into the 8th inning against the Giants on Friday. One guy he will have to watch out for is Josh Willingham, who has hit .400 with a 1.355 OPS and two home runs off Pelfrey. As for Stammen, the Mets numbers look like this:
Weather stats (courtesy of weather.com): Expect a chilly series, with tonight being sunny and 60 degrees with winds blowing NW at 17mph, mostly cloudy with a high of 60 degrees and 10mph winds WNW on Tuesday, and a 50% chance of showers on Wednesday with winds blowing E at 12mph. This is good news for the Mets, as they have won 12 of their 17 games in games under 70 degrees.
Leave a comment | tags: Alex Cora, Angel Pagan, Craig Stammen, david Wright, Fernando Tatis, frank catalanotto, Henry Blanco, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, John Maine, Jon Niese, Jose Reyes, Josh Willingham, Luis Atilano, Luis Castillo, Mike Pelfrey, Rod Barajas, Scott Olsen, Wil Nieves | posted in Uncategorized
Despite the Mets loss on Sunday, the late game heroics are becoming a bit of a habit. Not that that’s a bad thing. The Mets came back against the Giants on Sunday only to have the bullpen falter. But they’ve shown an ability to fight back that’s been absent for quite some time. It energizes the team, provides confidence and a belief that they are never out of it until the final out is made. A couple of standouts from this weekend series were Met catchers Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco who showed that they have not just doing it behind the plate, but they are doing it with their bats. Friday night, Barajas slugged a walk-off home run for his 9th on the year and Blanco, not to be outdone, decided that he too was capable of some dramatic flair as he added a walk-off on Saturday.
The Met catchers this season have combined for 10 home runs, thanks primarily to Barajas, and they currently lead all teams in that department for catchers. Not too shabby when you consider that Met catchers for the entire 2009 season were only able to push 13 home runs over the wall. It would be safe to say that the moves that brought Barajas and Blanco to the Mets are a definite improvement over the hodge-podge group of Josh Thole, Brian Schneider, Omir Santos and Ramon Castro that provided the catching duties last season. It could even be argued that to date, Barajas has been the Mets best off- season signing with the clutch home runs he has hit.
However, it would be surprising and very unlikely to see Barajas maintain anything close to the rate he is hitting home runs. Historically his home run rate is 3.6% and typically averages a home run every 25.8 AB’s. This season, Barajas’ home run rate has jumped up to 10.3% and is hitting one every 9.1 AB’s. All of this home run hitting has put Barajas’ ISO (isolated power) at a ridiculously high .354. To say that that is going to be pretty tough to sustain would be an understatement. Give Barajas credit though because he has been able to do this despite carrying around a terrible OBP of .253.
Defensively, there is little doubt that Blanco is the one with the upper hand as he is 5-for 5 in throwing out base runners. Barajas on the flip side has let all 6 attempts steal against him which is a concern going forward as base runners may be testing him more and more in the future until he proves he can throw them out.
So what do we really have in Barajas? Sometimes Superman. Sometimes Super-Nothing. At the risk of sounding corny (and what’s wrong with corny?), I can’t help but think that all this clutch hitting and heroics by Barajas is reminiscent of the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. But like the Wizard, once you got past the exterior and you looked underneath, there wasn’t really a whole lot there. Just an ordinary man which reminds us that Barajas is just an ordinary player. After all, his current WAR (wins above replacement player) of 0.5 grounds us all back to reality.
But despite the fraud the Wizard turned out to be, he had no magical powers, he did provide Dorothy and the gang with one very important gift: hope. Which is what Barajas has given the Mets and their fans of late. He has given them a reason to believe that they can fight, they can come from behind and they can win. This has been missing for a while now and the urgency and the desire seems to have been reignited in a team that in past seasons seemed uninterested and bored. So a tip of the cap to Rod Barajas (and Henry Blanco) this week for providing the Mets something better than home runs: a belief in themselves that they can win. And if nothing else, at least making Mets’ baseball fun again.
Leave a comment | tags: Brian Schneider, Henry Blanco, Josh Thole, New York Mets, Omir Santos, Ramon Castro, Rod Barajas | posted in Uncategorized
