Mets own lineup edge over Braves
Posted: Sunday, August 26, 2007 10:10 AM
An interesting debate was created by an offhand comment on a radio talk show. I declared the Mets to own the best lineup in the NL only to be promptly scolded by several callers who claimed the Braves' lineup tops in the league.
Today’s baseball debates are framed in two phases. Assuming the debaters actually watch games, talk to insiders and attack the issue with more than a cold-hearted statistical breakdown then you judge what your eyes see and ears hear with what the numbers tell you.
So to our question: Atlanta has a slight edge in runs scored (+30 in 2 extra games) and in OPS (.784 to .769.) To this, I was surprised
Both teams have been consistent in their scoring: The Mets have scored 4+ runs in 18 of 22 August games, the Braves in 17 of 23 games. Mark Texeira has clearly fueled the Braves with his 10 homer, 29 RBI month, and Chipper Jones is compiling one of his best offensive years.
Both teams have an under-producing star: Andruw Jones and Carlos Delgado, the latter dropped to sixth in the Mets order this week.
The Mets have enhanced their lineup by a late add as well. Luis Castillo has given Jose Reyes a fabulous second-place hitter to work with and boosted the Mets’ top of the order.
And that is where this vote still leans to the Mets. It isn’t just how many you score but when you score them.
Take this week: The Mets dropped a terrific series to the Padres. In that, though, they tied one game against San Diego’s eighth-inning pitcher, Heath Bell, and then beat Trevor Hoffman in the ninth. Two nights later, they tied a game against Hoffman after clobbering another celebrated setup man in Cla Meredith.
Over the same three nights, the Braves lost three games to the Reds and, in those games, failed to score in 13 of 14 innings against Cincinnati’s relief corps.
Reyes is the game’s most influential offensive player. Any inning in which he bats, including the two ninth-inning rallies against Hoffman, raises the anxiety in a pitcher.
As well as Willie Harris has performed in the leadoff spot (.382 OBP to Reyes’ .373) he does not threaten a pitcher. Upon closer examination, Kelly Johnson has had a terrific year, better than I imagined.
But they can’t impose themselves on a game in the same way as Reyes-Castillo, who combined to produce a run against Hoffman Tuesday night without a ball leaving the infield.
The words of Chipper Jones on Thursday night: “When we need outs, we can’t get them consistently. When we need offense, that dries up. We can’t execute bunts. It’s frustrating.”
As speed becomes more important in the changing game, and in the pressure of September and postseason ball, I still see the Mets lineup as one that a pitcher would least like to face.
