For as long as I can remember, home runs have been pivotal to winning championships. It’s not only that chicks dig the long ball but that those long balls are rally starters, pitcher killers and momentum swingers. There’s no easier way to score a bunch of runs than by driving one deep. Currently, the Mets rank 23rd in Major League Baseball with 117 home runs hit in 2014. While you rarely want to be near the bottom of any list, the two teams that occupy spots 29 and 30 are both likely headed to the playoffs.
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals rank 29th and 30th respectively in home runs hit in 2014. In fact, both have yet to hit their 100th home run this season and are the only two clubs yet to reach that plateau. Still, the Cardinals are sitting in 1st place in the National League Central, 2.0 games ahead of the Pittsburg Pirates while the Royals occupy the first Wild Card spot in the National League. They are half a game up on the A’s and have a 1.5 gave cushion over the Mariners.
So are home runs not important anymore?
Their might actually be some truth to that. While the American League East champion Baltimore Orioles have hit the most home runs in baseball, the Rockies, Blue Jays, Astros and Cubs will all miss the playoffs despite having hit near league best home run totals. Hitters that hit the ball to all fields and hit for high averages are suddenly more important than ever while sluggers have been commoditized.
Only three of the top ten home run hitters in baseball are ticketed for the playoffs. Mike Trout (34), Nelson Cruz (39) and Victor Martinez (31) will represent their clubs in October while guys like Giancarlo Stanton (37), Jose Bautista (33) and Jose Abreu (35) watch the games on television.
What’s far more important in todays game is team batting average. While the Mets rank 29th with a .238 team average, no teams currently headed to the playoffs rank in the bottom third of the league. Oakland ranks 20th with a .245 average, while many of the division leaders reside in the top 10. High batting averages win baseball games in 2014 and that should be the Mets focus heading into 2015.
Pitching has always been the key to championships. From Whitey Ford to Randy Johnson, pitchers have always held the key. Offense is there to compliment the pitching and boy do the Mets have pitching in droves. To use a term made famous by Jeff Wilpon before the season started, the Mets have a ‘glut’ of pitching talent. What they don’t have are power hitters. Curtis Granderson and David Wright have regressed and while Lucas Duda‘s power is impressive at times, his long slumps make him a guy that can be pitched to in almost any situation.
Do the Mets need a few big power bats or can they win by bringing in more balanced hitters? Given the dimensions of their ballpark, the answer is clear. Sandy Alderson should focus on bringing in high average, high on base percentage guys that can use the gaps of Citi Field to their advantage. Trying to hit home runs is an antiquated way of looking at the game and if the Mets play their cards right, they might just hit the winning formula.
