Second Base: Danny Espionsa / Anthony Rendon vs Daniel Murphy
- Edge: Even
Both teams use a lot of different players to fill the middle and corner infield spots. Both Espinosa and Rendon give terrific defense. Though neither of their bats are scary. Rendon is the better of the two offensively. Last season he belted 21 homeruns, but this season has only 1 in over 140 at-bats. Rendon has missed a lot of time this year, and it is safe to assume he has yet to find his way. Espinosa is what he is – a versatile player with a real nice glove who can hit one out of the park on occasion.
It seems Daniel Murphy has been a Met forever. He settled into second base a few years back mostly because the Mets had a need. His defense is adequate at best. He stays on the field because he provides a solid left-handed bat. While he does not produce huge homerun or on-base numbers, he puts the ball in play, only 30 strikeouts this season. Overrated? Yes, but still better than what the Nationals roll out there. So much so, the Nationals inquired about Murphy’s availability during last off-season.
Despite the Mets having the better offensive player, the defense the Nationals tandem puts on the field makes this matchup even.
