Paul Articulates – Look to the left

The New York Mets continue to struggle to find a rhythm this year.  Every time one problem seems to get solved, another one rises up and inhibits a momentum run that is badly needed.  Of course, when things go poorly, the voices in the media and the fan base get very loud trying to lay blame and suggest quick fixes to right all the perceived wrongs.

One of the most common themes in the ill-advised sideline advice is to identify some player on a hot streak somewhere and plug him in to the Mets lineup.  If that treads on a position that is already filled with a regular, the proposal involves moving the displaced player to left field. 

There are several things wrong with this approach.  

Number one, it is not that easy to play left field in the major leagues.  You can’t just shove someone out there after an afternoon shagging flies and expect them to perform.  Look at the experiments with Daniel Murphy, Dom Smith, and JD Davis.  People are fooled into thinking it is easy because Jeff McNeil can move from second base to left field and deliver high quality defense.  Jeff McNeil is an extraordinary baseball player for being able to do that.  Don’t assume many others can. 

Number two, there is a depth chart in the outfield that was built through hours of experience with players in that position from the minor leagues through spring training through the first 62 games of the regular season.  Unless there is an exceptional case, players just don’t jump several positions up in the depth chart.  Hot streaks are just that – streaks.  Streaks end and if you are left with an underperformer who jumped over everyone else in the depth chart there is more trouble than just a hole in the lineup.  There is a morale problem.

So what are the Mets going to do about left field?  They are currently paying some good money to Mark Canha and Tommy Pham to man that position.  Canha is giving us a slash line of .238/.325/.387 for an OPS of .712 which is below his career averages, especially in OBP and OPS.  Pham is giving us a slash line of .237/.325/.485 for an OPS of .810 which is close to his career numbers.  Both players began the season cold and have recently been playing better, but not to a level that is helping the club out of its current funk.

In the minors, there are three AAA players with left field experience all sporting numbers that are far less than their major league counterparts against pitching that is much less challenging.  However, at the AA level is a player to watch.  Matt Rudick plays left field for the AA Binghamton Rumble Ponies and he has been on a tear all season.  Rudick has an OPS of .976 on 18 extra base hits in 46 games.  He has a .314/.457/.519 line that looks good in any ballpark and he also delivers speed on the basepaths with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts this year.  That other thing that I like about Rudick is his ability to put bat on ball.  Unlike many other minor league players with big stats, Rudick does not strike out much.  That translates well as the pitching gets better at higher levels.

So I am not proposing that everyone step aside for Matt Rudick to make a Michael Harris-like leap to prominence in the major leagues.  I am happy to let the development system do what it is designed to do – elevate MLB ready players with experience at their position.  In the meantime, while the Mets’ leadership tries to find a solution to the team’s struggles, keep an eye on the rising young stars.