What originally motivated me to research and write a piece like this was the Mets’ futility in the longball department, coupled with the incessant chants in defense of the Mets, that you don’t need homeruns to score runs and win ballgames. A concept that I could never quite understand or agree with.

The following chart will show a decade’s worth of data that I compiled on team homeruns. It illustrates each years best and worst homerun totals by team and compares them to their rank in runs scored.

As you can see, the team with the lowest homerun total each season consistently ranks among the bottom five teams in runs scored and ranked last 40% of the time. None of the teams listed made the post season. Although I have yet to finish compiling the data for each year, early indications are that the power outage seems to directly correlate with their rank in home park attendance as well. 

When you take a look at the annual homerun “leaders” by team, the results are staggering. Every team on our list ranked in the top ten in runs scored and 70% of those teams ranked in the top five. Three of these teams went onto the post season.

The teams with the lowest homerun totals finished in last place or second to last place in 9 of the 10 seasons. The teams with the most homeruns, never had a last place finish and finished first in their division three times with the Brewers finishing in second in 2007.

The Mets 95 homeruns had the second lowest homerun total of the decade, edged out by the Giants who hit 94 in 2008. A big MMO shout-out to Daniel Murphy and Jeff Francoeur for both hitting two-run homers in the last series of the season against the Houston Astros to keep the Mets from owning that dubious honor.

So what does all of this data prove? I don’t really have an answer to that question, but it certainly deflates the argument that you don’t need homeruns to win ballgames and go to the post season.

Here are some interesting statistics.  The Mets had 93 homerless games during the 2009 season:  46 at CitiField and 47 on the road.  The Yankees had 30 homerless games during 2009 :  7 at Yankee Stadium and 23 on the road.  There was only one game at Yankee Stadium this year in which neither team hit a home run.  That was on June 18th against the Nationals.

Below is a list for 2009 of all major league teams with total team home runs and the team leader.  As you can see, no team comes close to the Mets in home run hitting ineptitude.

1.  244 Yankees, Mark Texeira 39

2.  224 Rangers, Nelson Cruz 33

3.  224 Phillies, Ryan Howard 45

4.  212 Red Sox, Jason Bay 36

5.  209 Blue Jays, Aaron Hill 36

6.  199 Rays, Carlos Pena 39

7.  190 Rockies, Troy Tulowitzki 32

8.  184 White Sox, Paul Konerko 28

9.  183 Tigers, Miguel Cabrera 34

10. 182 Brewers, Prince Fielder 46

11. 173 Angels, Kendry Morales 34

12. 173 D’Backs, Mark Reynolds 44

13. 172 Twins, Mark Cuddyer 32

14. 161 Cubs, Derrick Lee 35

15. 161 Indiana, Shin-Soo Choo 20

16. 160 Orioles, 25 Luke Scott

17. 160 Mariners, Russell Branyan 31

18. 160 Cardinals, Albert Pujols 47

19. 159 Marlins, Dan Uggla 31

20. 158 Reds, Joey Votto 25

21. 156 Nationals, Adam Dunn 38

22. 149 Braves, Adam LaRoche 24

23. 145 Dodgers, Andre Ethier 31

24. 144 Royals, Miguel Olivo 23

25. 142 Astros, Carlos Lee 26

26. 141 Padres, Adrian Gonzales 40

27. 135 Athletics, Jack Cust 25

28. 125 Pirates, Garrett Jones 21

29. 122 Giants, Pablo Sandoval 25

30.   95 Mets, Daniel Murphy 12

Look how pitiful the Mets power numbers were. 

YOU CANNOT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THESE MIND BOGGLING POWER NUMBERS!

Home-runs are exciting to watch, especially if you’re a New York Mets fan and the Mets are playing at home.  As a young Met fan I can tell you that I always looked forward to seeing a Met player hit a home-run at Shea Stadium to see the apple rise as the hitter rounds the bases.  The 2006 season comes to mind as a fun time to see the Mets hit a home-run.  After every home-run we would see the Mets celebrate, Jose Reyes had a different celebration for every teammate who knocked one out of the park it seemed.

Home-runs are an important part of the game, there is no denying that fact.  If you down 4-5 runs, a nice 3 run homer can get you right back in the game.  That being said the fact that the Mets are lacking in the home-runs does not concern me as much as it has other fans and the writers.  I think Citi Field has something to do with the lack of home-run production by the Mets.  To hit a home-run out of the park you have to be a great home-run hitter who has a lot of power.  David Wright since 2005 has hit at least 26 HR’s.  In the beginning of the season you could see that David was still trying to hit home-runs.  After a few weeks David’s swing seems different.  He is currently hitting .345 while his on-base-percentage is .448.  I believe Wright has adjusted his swing in order to hit in Citi Field.  It’s much bigger than Shea.  It’s built differently.  Unlike the new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field is not built to help with the long ball.  It’s quite the opposite.  The Wilpons from day 1 have said that Citi Field is a pitchers park.  David Wright isn’t the only one who has adjusted his swing.  Beltran currently has only 7 home-runs but he is batting .342 with an on-base-percentage of .436.  Beltran is a career .283 hitter, with a career on-base-percentage of .359.  I feel that the park has made these guys adjust their swings.

The Mets have to start hitting home-runs more frequently, I agree but I also think that the emphasis on the lack of home-runs being hit by the amazins is a little out of hand.  I would rather see guys getting on base, driving guys in then trying to swing for the fences.  I’m sure there are those that disagree with me, sound off, I’m ready for the firing squad!

Everyone is blaming Citi Field for the Mets power outage this season, but is that really the case?

While researching for another post this morning, I took a look at some Mets team stats and came across some information that some of you may find surprising.

I learned that the Mets have hit more homeruns and have a higher homerun per game percentage at Citi Field than they have on the road.

In 26 games at Citi Field, the Mets have hit 18 homeruns.

In 29 games on the road, the Mets have hit 16 homeruns.

The Mets are ranked 28th in the majors in homeruns.

Of those 29 road games, at least 12 of those games were in hitter friendly parks including bandboxes in Philly and Cincy.

So for those of you who took solace in blaming the new digs for the lack of power in the Mets lineup, sorry to break the news to you. Cit Field has absolutely nothing to do with the Mets’ inability to hit homeruns, at least that’s how it appears after almost a third of the season.

The Mets simply are exactly what you see, and that is a team that is dangerously short on power.

David Wright was asked about the recent power outage and this is what he said to reporters on Wednesday,

“We’ve played in big parks,” third baseman David Wright said, fully aware that they’ll now play in a small one. “I’m not worried about the home runs. That’s the last thing I’m concerned with.”

He’s right of course. The Mets have just completed series in Dodgers Stadium and AT&T Park, both notorious for keeping the ball inside the park.

This Red Sox series may be just what the doctor ordered to ramp up the power and get those bats going again.

I see Carlos Beltran benefiting the most from the Red Sox series, given all those near homers and 400 foot outs that plagued him on the west coast. Even the slumping Ryan Church and Fernando Tatis were denied at least one homer each in the last two series.

The green monster will be a welcomed sight for our big sluggers, and I believe they will have a nice weekend swinging their lumber and getting back on track.

Lets Go Mets!