Going into 2017, the Mets and Nationals will clearly be the two teams fighting for the NL East title, with the Braves, Phillies, and Marlins lagging behind. While most people give the overall edge to the Nationals saying they will take the East, let’s take a closer look at these two teams and see who has the edge. In this article, we’ll compare the position players and benches of the two teams.
Catcher – Mets
After losing All Star and Silver Slugger Wilson Ramos to free agency, they traded for Derek Norris to replace him. After having two strong seasons including an All Star appearance in 2014, Norris had an absolutely abysmal 2016 slashing .186/.255/.328 with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs. At 27 years old, it is entirely possible he can return to form this season, but in the pitching-rich National League East that will be difficult. While they are comparable defensively, d’Arnaud’s pitch framing skills gives him the slight edge defensively.
The Mets starting catcher will be Travis d’Arnaud and Sandy Alderson has made that clear. In 2014 and 2015, d’Arnaud and Norris were actually very comparable hitters. However, while both endured down years in 2016, d’Arnaud put up considerably better numbers albeit in less games. He slashed .247/.307/.323 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 75 games. Of the two, d’Arnaud has more potential, and considering he hit 12 home runs in only 67 games in 2015, it is possible he could break out in 2017. The Mets take this category, but it’s a barn burner.
First Basemen – Mets
While Ryan Zimmerman has had a very productive career, 2016 saw a major regress in his statistics. In 115 games, the 32 year-old hit .218/.272/.370 with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. Lefty Clint Robinson, who shared first base with Zimmerman, was not much better, hitting .235/.305/.332 with five home runs and 26 RBIs in 104 games (196 ABs).
Mets first baseman Lucas Duda is coming off a stress fracture in his back which is now fully healed. After hitting 57 home runs in the two seasons prior, Duda was limited to 47 games in 2016, hitting .229/.302/.412 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs. Duda, who at 30 years old is younger than the two Nationals first basemen, has much more upside going into 2017 and will not have to share his position as much as they do. It is for these reasons I give the slight edge to Duda and the Mets.
Second Baseman – Nationals
This one hurts for obvious reasons. Daniel Murphy put up MVP numbers in his first year as a National, slashing .347/.390/.595 with 24 home runs and 104 RBIs. His 47 doubles, .595 SLG% and .985 OPS all led the National League. He earned a trip to his second All Star game as well as the Silver Slugger award for second basemen. He has always been a good hitter, but he has blossomed into the great hitter many Mets fans foresaw. Unfortunately, he is wearing the wrong uniform.
While Murphy gives the Nationals the edge at second base, the Mets’ man is nothing to scoff at. Neil Walker was having a phenomenal year before season-ending surgery, slashing .282/.347/.476 with 23 home runs and 55 RBIs in 113 games. Walker, back on a one-year deal, should be healthy again in 2017 and provide similar offense, as he has always been a very consistent hitter. While Walker is a superior defender than Murphy, he just doesn’t come close enough on offense.
Shortstop – Nationals
Before the acquisition of Adam Eaton, the Mets would have taken this category. However, with that trade, Rookie of the Year runner-up Trea Turner can move back to shortstop in 2017, his natural position. Playing out of position in center field, Turner was electric, slashing .342/.370/.567 with 13 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases in 73 games.
As with second base, the Mets shortstop gives Turner a run for his money as well. Asdrubal Cabrera was everything the Mets hoped for in 2016, slashing .280/.336/.474 with 23 home runs and 62 RBIs in 141 games. He put up those numbers whilst playing through a strained left patella tendon, so it will be fun to watch him play 100% healthy in 2017. Unfortunately, it is hard to see him producing as much offensively as Turner will for the Nationals, so I have to give them the edge.
Third Base – Nationals
Anthony Rendon had a standout year for the Nationals, hitting .270/.348/.450 with 20 home runs, 85 RBIs, 38 doubles, and 12 stolen bases. He stayed healthy which allowed him to participate in 156 games. At just 26 years old (and two years removed from a 5th-place finish in MVP voting), he has a ton of upside coming into 2017.
David Wright will be starting most of the games at third base when healthy, and nobody really knows what to expect out of him. Serious injuries have limited his playing time to 75 games over the past two seasons, and he hit 12 home runs and drove in 31 during that span. His defense, specifically his throwing, has diminished greatly further lowering his overall production. However, the seven-time All Star might still have some tricks up his sleeve. Even so, I have to give the edge to Rendon and the Nationals.
Left Field – Mets
Considering Yoenis Cespedes is the best left fielder in the Major Leagues, this doesn’t come as much surprise. Cespedes hit .280/.354/.530 with 31 home runs and 86 RBIs while providing elite defense in left field. He is the Mets best position player by far and easily takes this category.
His competition is Jayson Werth, who even at his best seven years ago, would still not be as good. Werth’s productivity has diminished greatly mostly due to his well below average defense. He has not posted a positive dWAR since his 0.2 mark in 2008. Since 2009 he has averaged -1.1 dWAR and of late has not produced enough offensively to make up for it. 2016 saw him hit .244/.335/.417 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs in 143 games. He is not a bad player, but compared to the best left fielder in the game he can not win.
Center Field – Nationals
35 year-old Curtis Granderson has been an important cog in the Mets organization since his was brought aboard three years ago. He had a fine year in 2016, slashing .237/.335/.464 with 30 home runs and 59 RBIs. His numbers will be curtailed a bit in 2017 as he will surely have to share the spotlight with up-and-comer Michael Conforto, who will also need consistent at bats.
The Nationals gave up the farm to acquire former White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton. At 28 years old, Eaton has blossomed into a very valuable player, providing stellar defense while producing at the plate as well. In 157 games, Eaton hit .284/.362/.428 with 14 home runs, 59 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and an American League-leading nine triples. While Granderson is not a bad player by any means, Eaton takes the cake here.
Right Field – Nationals
As of now, the Mets starting right fielder is Jay Bruce. The three-time All Star and two-time Silver Slugger is a pretty good player in his own right. Despite struggling in a Mets uniform last season, he still managed a season slash line of .250/.309/.506 with 33 home runs and 99 RBIs in 147 games. While his time on the Mets may end before the season begins, or perhaps in July at the deadline, his playing time might be affected by Michael Conforto just as Granderson’s would be.
Bryce Harper is 24 years old and has already attended four All Star games and won an MVP unanimously. While he did have a down year in 2016 with a .243 batting average, he still managed an impressive .373 OBP. He hit 24 home runs and drove in 86, stealing 21 bases for the first 20-20 season of his career. He was, however, caught 10 times. He is still very young and there is every possibility he will go back to putting up monster numbers. He has much more upside than Bruce so he takes this category.
Bench – Mets
The Mets might have the best bench in the Major Leagues. They’ve got four-time All Star and former batting champion Jose Reyes as a super-utility man who can play shortstop, second base, or third base, and is even trying his hand at center field this spring. Next off the bench is Wilmer Flores who demolishes lefties, and in only 307 at bats hit 16 home runs in 2016. He can play any infield position adequately while providing serious pop off the bench. The Mets have a strong backup catcher in Rene Rivera, who provides very good defense behind the plate.
In the outfield, the Mets have Gold Glover Juan Lagares who will be used as a defensive replacement in center field at the end of most games, and can also be used as a pinch runner or pinch hitter against lefties. As the Mets outfield is very crowded, on any given day the bench will also include one of Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, or Michael Conforto. Further, if any injuries were to occur, Brandon Nimmo and T.J. Rivera are waiting in Triple-A Las Vegas to fill in.
The Nationals infield depth consists of Wilmer Difo who has had only 77 plate appearances since his debut in 2015. He hit .261/.338/.348 with one home run and three doubles during that span, however his value comes with his ability to play second and third base as well as shortstop. The Nationals also have Clint Robinson backing up Ryan Zimmerman at first base, but Robinson can also play the corner outfield positions in a pinch. Their backup catcher is Jose Lobaton, an average defender who has hit .213/.296/.328 with six home runs in 83 games over the last two seasons.
Their best outfielder off the bench is Michael Taylor, a career .228/.281/.363 hitter that provides above average defense at each outfield position. They also have Chris Heisey who can play center field as well, but is better suited to play the corners. He hit .216/.290/.446 with nine home runs and 17 RBIs in 83 games for the Nationals in 2016. The Mets clearly have a better bench than the Nationals, and in my opinion, a better bench than any other team.
There you have it! The Mets take four categories while the Nationals take five. Check in on Wednesday for a comparison of the starting rotations and bullpens! Do you agree with my assessments of the position players and benches? What team do you think has a better rotation or bullpen? Comment below!
