LF: Michael Conforto vs. Jayson Werth
After he was promoted from Double-A Binghamton, Michael Conforto not only impressed the Mets but also the entire league by hitting nine home runs in 56 games. The 22 year old went on to hit a very respectable .270 while also driving in 26 runs. He also proved many people wrong by becoming a solid defender in left field. The sky is the limit for this kid in his first full season. Steamers projects Conforto will hit .260 with 18 HR and 65 RBI.
There is no doubt that Jayson Werth has had a very solid Major League career. However, the now 36 year old has had trouble staying healthy. In two of the last four years, Werth has only played half a season. Last year in 88 games, Werth hit just .221 with 12 HR and 42 RBI. Steamers projects him to hit .266 with 13 HR and 51 RBI.
Edge: Michael Conforto
Both of these players are going in opposite directions. Conforto is just 22 and has tremendous upside, whereas Werth’s productivity is declining with his age. Although Werth can still be dangerous, look for Conforto to have a breakout year in his first full season with the Mets.
CF: Yoenis Cespedes vs. Ben Revere
The offseason was finally complete when Sandy Alderson was able to re-sign slugger Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes even chose to leave money on the table in order to come back to the Mets, the team he ultimately wanted to stay with. He’s coming off a career-best year, hitting 35 home runs with 105 RBI. 17 of those home runs came in just 57 total games with the Mets. He will be the Mets primary power threat, along with Lucas Duda. Defensively he has one of the strongest arms in the entire league. Last year he won an AL Gold Glove award for his work in Left Field with the Tigers. Steamers projects Cespedes will hit .259 with 26 HR and 83 RBI.
The Nationals will most likely go with Ben Revere as their primary center fielder. However, Michael Taylor will also see a lot of time out there as well. Revere is a solid contact hitter who has a ton of speed. Between Philadelphia and Toronto last year, Revere hit a very respectable .306 with just two home runs and 31 RBI. Revere is also very solid defensively and covers a lot of ground. Steamers project he will hit .303 with 2 HR and 42 RBI.
Edge: Yoenis Cespedes
While the combination of Revere and Taylor is pretty solid, there really isn’t much of a debate with this one. One concern that many people have is how well Cespedes will fair defensively out in center field, since he’s primarily been a corner outfield. Time will tell with that, but make no mistake about it, Yoenis Cespedes is a top tier player in this league, and will be very fun to watch in 2016.
RF: Curtis Granderson vs. Bryce Harper
You could argue that Curtis Granderson was the Mets MVP last year. He was steady throughout the season and hit .259 with 26 HR and 70 RBI out of the leadoff spot. He is not your traditional leadoff hitter, but he proved to be a good fit there last year as he drew a total of 91 walks. While he won’t wow you defensively in right field, he is steady and will occasionally make some big plays.
Bryce Harper was last year’s National League MVP, and deservedly so. Harper posted a .330 average with a 1.109 OPS, along with 42 HR and 99 RBI. Defensively he is one of the premier corner outfielders in the game, and he has a cannon for an arm.
Edge: Bryce Harper
Nobody can deny how valuable Curtis Granderson is for the Mets, but this one really isn’t that close. Harper is one of the more dangerous players in the game with his bat, and the scary part is he’s only 23 and still hasn’t reached his prime.
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After two rounds, Infielders and Outfielders, here is where this battle stands.
Scorecard: Mets 6, Nationals 1, Tie 1
Next Up: Mets vs Nationals – Starting Rotation
