More Making The Grade

By Shari Forst
Posted Saturday, July 21, 2007

Right before the all star break I rated the starting pitching, so now I feel compelled to turn in my marks for the starting nine.

Jose Reyes-.306 Average 6 HR 38 RBIs 47 Stolen Bases Grade: A-
To think people were thinking of trading this hidden treasure away 3 or 4 years ago! Homegrown through the Mets system, he gave us hope awaiting his arrival. When he did get here, he experienced some very strange leg injuries for a young guy. However, now he is proving he was well worth the wait. His on base percentage and walk totals have steadily risen and he is proving to be the quintessential lead off man in the order. He has way above average defense, blinding speed, now a good eye at the plate and even some pop in his bat. All around he is everything he was advertised to be. I only give him an A- because he still needs some improvement as a left hand batter (not swinging at some bad pitches here and there) but overall I am more than happy with Reyes.

Jose Valentin-.238 Average 3 HR 18 RBIs Grade: D
Last season I balked and squwaked about his presence on this team. In April he came off the bench to hit a few times and was so awful it left us to wonder what were the Mets thinking? Then he got some playing time in May in Milwaukee once Anderson Hernandez went down with his back injury. Valentin had an amazing series against the Brewers and turned it on for most of the second half. He slowed down some towards the end in September and granted, didn't do alot in the 2006 playoffs with his bat. Having moved to second base, a position by his own admission he was not comfortable with, he played it flawlessly. Like he had been there his entire his career. I wasn't in love with the Mets' decision to bring him back for 2007, but I certainly understood why. He did earn the chance to try to start. Now hampered by that knee injury again, he is an offensive liability. Most recently batting second in the batting order (for what reason I have no idea), he is struggling even more. I think if the Mets are smart they start shopping for a second baseman in his prime at the trade deadline.

Carlos Delgado-.248 Average 14 HR 52 RBIs Grade: C
When the Mets traded for Delgado I think we all knew that the immediate benefits of his bat were clear. His defense was not his strong suit, but I felt he was a pleasant surprise at first base. I was upset that they traded away Mike Jacobs, but you can't argue with 38 HRs and over 100RBIs, and normally a .300 batting average. Last season although Delgado produced in the first half, he did hit a two-month slump. Even with that he managed to make it to his tenth consecutive over-30-HR season. This year he has been dropped from the clean-up spot, barely hitting .200 during the first half, and stuck on three HRs until the end of May. He has turned it on of late, batting over .335 for the month of July. I am hoping he has a strong finish to help this team offensively in the second half because they are clearly not the same hitting team they were last year throughout the line up.

David Wright-.297 Average 16 HR 38 RBIs 51 Stolen Bases 20 Grade: B+
Another young player that gave Met fans hope awaiting his arrival to the big leagues. He has been steady in the line up. Although at the beginning of the season he was not the same hitter, he wasn't doing badly but seemed to have a power outage and a more pronounced upper cut to his swing. Lately he has straightened all of that out and is looking like his old self at the plate. His defense was always like Jeckyll & Hyde. He would make mindless errors in the ninth inning last season, and I think that was due to his anxiety and nerves. That has settled down this season. By the same token he would making diving acrobatic catches on foul balls in the stands that would make the ESPN highlight reels.
I think as he matures he will be a very well rounded player.

Shawn Green-.276 Average 7 HR 28 RBIs 47 Grade: C
Shawn Green is a below average right fielder, but his bat always carried him. Once a feared home run threat, that was no longer the case later in his career. One could only hope he would hit for average, which he hasn't really done so much of, either. He was among the batting leaders in the beginning of the season, now hitting in the .270s. He is just OK--nothing great anymore, nothing terrible. Just not an exciting player anymore. His hits seem to come when it doesn't count. He could be a lot worse, but he could be a lot better too.

Carlos Beltran.258 Average 16 HR 58 RBIs 14 Stolen Bases Grade: C-
His first season here we expected a lot and got 16 HRs and 78 RBIs. The fans were pissed because he was paid all of this money and we didn't get a lot in return. It was revealed later he was playing hurt all season. My reaction to that was take as much time off as you need and get 100% healthy and play to your potential. No one in NY appreciates it when players underperform trying to be troupers. Last season was the season Mets and their fans dreamed they were getting; 41 HRs, over 100 RBIs; a good batting average and amazing play in centerfield. Now this season he has slipped more towards his 2005 form. Rumor has it that quad is nagging him, but I say again stay out of the line up and get healthy.

Moises Alou-???????? Grade: Incomplete
Who knows if and when he will return? As of Tuesday night he supposedly played his first rehab game in the minors. WHOOPEE. I still say this was a bad move, I knew he would be out a good chunk of the season and I don't care how great your potential hall of fame numbers are. The Mets need a left fielder who can actually play more of the 162 games.

Paul LoDuca-.269 Average 5 HR 27 RBIs Grade: B
I know he isn't hitting like he was last season, but he still isn't a liability in the lineup. He handles the pitchers really well, calls a good game and is a true leader on the club. I like LoDuca, and I think he will come through with the bat in the clutch down the road. He fires up his team and this season for sure they need that in the clubhouse.