This spring Mets manager Jerry Manuel spoke of his plan to bat shortstop Jose Reyes third in the order. Since then we have not seen the speedy leadoff hitter anywhere but atop the lineup.
Well, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork , this weekend could be the time when we finally see Reyes somewhere other than his customary leadoff position.
“I said, ‘Whatever is best for the team, I’m going to do it,’” Reyes told ESPNNewYork.com. “I don’t have any problem.
“He said, ‘Do your thing. Don’t try to be different there because you’re going to hit three,’” Reyes said. “I said, ‘Oh, yeah. I’m going to be me. I’m going to take it like I’m going to be leadoff.’ He explained it to me. I said, ‘I don’t have a problem Jerry.’”
Thoughts: I like this move. The idea behind is that with Reyes batting in front of Jason Bay it will get the struggling slugger more fastballs to see since pitchers will be worried about Reyes’ legs. It certainly couldn’t hurt Bay.
This move also strengthens the Mets entire lineup. Yes, Reyes is the traditional leadoff hitter, but with a career .337 OBP he does not fit into the mold of modern leadoff hitter any more than Angel Pagan who has a career .331 OBP.
Also, the bottom of the Mets lineup has been a disaster lately with the exception of Pagan. By moving Reyes to third not only do you get Pagan’s bat higher in the lineup, but you also move everyone down a peg. So instead of having a huge drop-off after the No. 6 hitter, the Mets lineup now extends to the No. 7 hitter which might not sound like a huge difference, but it will certainly grind on opposing pitchers more.
Will this make a huge difference? Probably not, but the immediate impact may come from jump starting Bay and if he gets hot, that could be your huge difference right there. More than anything this just puts Reyes closer to the big boppers in the lineup.
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