Because the Washington Nationals and New York Mets are in a heated pennant race, lets take a few moments to compare the two clubs.
By Ernie DeFalco
As it stands right now, New York currently enjoys a 4.5 game led over the Nats. They’re lucky though. For every loss they suffered over this past weekend to the tough and battle tested Pittsburgh Pirates, the Nats lost just as frequently on the West Coast.
[mc4wp_form id=”11262″]It seems neither team is going anywhere anytime soon. Will one separate themselves over the long haul though? That’s the question.
Considering this, it’s now appropriately time to throw down and see who is better. And what better way to do so than by a paper, position-by-position comparison.
Let us see which one has the edge.
First Base: Ryan Zimmerman Vs Lucas Duda
- Edge: Mets
Ryan Zimmerman has long been one of the most dangerous bats in the National League. This year is the first time his age is starting to show. His homeruns are down (9), average is down (.219) as is his on base percentage (.276). But he is Ryan Zimmerman and always finds a way to get at least one big hit in a series.
When the Mets decided to move on from Ike Davis in favor of Lucas Duda many disagreed. However, Duda has proven the Mets right. The only knock against Duda’s offensive game was his ability to hit left-handed pitching. Problem sovled. Duda is hitting over .300 against lefties this season. While consistently has plagued him Duda is still the second most dangerous bat in the Mets lineup.
Zimmerman has had a fine career and is still a dangerous out, but Duda and the Mets get the edge here.
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.
Third Base: Yunel Escobar vs Juan Uribe
- Edge: Nationals
At the age of 32 Yunel Escobar has settled into a new position, a new team, and is putting together the best year of his long career. There are not enough superlatives that can been used to describe the type of year Escobar is having. Hitting over .300 with a WAR of 1.3, Escobar has turned into one of the best off-season moves the Nationals made (aside from that Scherzer guy).
Juan Uribe adds a very good glove and a power bat and some swagger. Even with that power and swagger he cannot be relied on as an everyday player. The reality is the Mets do not have a starting third baseman. Which as any Met fan knows, is no surprise. The Mets have seen 156 players man the hot corner since their inception. David Wright was supposed to be the guy who stopped the revolving door at third and was supposed to be the cornerstone of the team’s resurgence. Well he hasn’t been and the void has yet to be filled.
Even if David Wright were playing, the year Escobar is having ranks as one of the top third baseman in baseball.
Shortstop: Ian Desmond vs Ruben Tejada
- Edge: Nationals
Just one season ago this would not have even been a discussion, but Ian Desmond has been a disappointment this season. His average was way down and power was down a bit. Worst of all, his defense was way down. Desmond has shown the signs of a rebound though. He has been very productive of late hitting .272 with 8 home runs post all-star break.
The Mets have a two-headed monster at shortstop. Well, not really.
Ruben Tejada has seen a resurgence this season. After being in Terry Collins’s doghouse for much of the past three season and losing his starting job to just about anyone with a pulse, Tejada has found his game. He has basically forced Terry Collins into making him the everyday shortstop. Tejada provides fine defense, something the Mets lack, and has actually contributed with the bat hitting .258. Sure it is a very weak .258 but given his defense is a huge upgrade from Wilmer Flores the Mets will take it.
Even with Tejada playing the best baseball of his career, give the edge to the Nationals.
Catcher: Wilson Ramos vs Travis d’Arnaud
- Edge: Mets
One time Met farmhand Wilson Ramos is a solid major league catcher. He plays quality defense and handles a great pitching staff. Offensively he has shown spurts of being a force, while other times his bat seems to disappear. Hitting .236 with pop in his bat, he doesn’t scare pitchers. Unless those pitchers wear blue and orange. Every year he seems to find ways to get big hits against the Mets.
When Sandy Alderson acquired Travis d’Arnaud from the Toronto Blue Jays, much was said about his offense. And for the most part this has been true. He is currently hitting .270 with an OPS of .826. His biggest problem of course is staying on the field. His defense is the weakest part of his game. He has worked hard at blocking balls which is proven by the drastic reduction in passed balls (none at the time of this article). But he is more than capable of everyday catching duties.
Assuming d’Arnaud can stay on the field, the Mets have the edge.
Left Field: Jason Werth vs Michael Conforto / Micahel Cuddyer
- Edge: Mets
Jason Werth has struggled this year. Hitting .184 and offering little power it is OK to start questioning is Werth at age 36 has lost it. Werth still plays a solid defense and carries the aura of a menacing figure at the dish. Right now, however, his numbers prove he just looks menacing.
Early indicators show the Mets will platoon the two Michael’s. Cuddyer’s injury allowed for the eventual call up of Conforto and Conforto has not disappointed. He’s currently a .220 hitter, but it is clear to see he has ability. That said, if Michael Cuddyer, now back from injury, shows he can regain his form expect Michael Cuddyer to get the starting job back. Or look for a platoon situation.
Werth is having an awful season, no doubt, and as much as it seems a no brainer to give the Nats the edge, Werth has been so bad it makes it impossible.
Center Field: Michael Taylor vs Yoenis Cespedes
- Edge: Mets
Michael Taylor is slowly turning into a fine major league player. He fields extremely well and his hitting is improving. He is hitting .241 with 10 homeruns which is a nice place to be for a second year hitter. He plays a very good centerfield and will be the Nationals centerfielder into the future. He has filled in admirably for Denard Span.
Introducing Yoenis Cespedes folks. Most Mets fans still do not know what they have in Cespedes. But the fact he is playing center-field just increased his value even more. He seems to be able to handle center while putting up corner outfield numbers. Is he perfect player? No. He swings at everything, with that he is still an extremely dangerous hitter. He hustles and plays hard. He also possesses a few intangibles the Mets sorely needed.
When looking at Cespedes’s career numbers a case could made that he is a bit overrated. None the less, the Mets clearly get the edge here.
Right field: Bryce Harper vs Curtis Granderson
- Edge: Nationals
Granderson has been great this year. He is getting on base, hitting homeruns, and doing just about everything the Mets asked of him when he signed that big deal a season ago. He is once again a threat at the plate.
Unfortunately for Granderson his competition is Bryce Harper, and Harper is quite good. He is a certain MVP candidate and Triple Crown contender (only 73 RBI’s make it a long shot). While Harper maybe the most disliked player in baseball, his ability ranks him in the top-five in baseball. Harper can have maturity issues which sometimes boils over onto the field which he demonstrated by getting into with an umpire and getting ejected in an important game against the Mets. If you read about his path to becoming a professional, that maturity issue sort of makes sense.
Harper’s maturity aside, the guy is an amazing talent. He may not win any congeniality awards but he certainly gives the Nationals the edge in right.
Starting Pitching: Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, Joe Ross and Jordan Zimmernn vs Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jonathan Niese and Bartolo Colon
- Edge: Mets
This is where the comparison becomes very interesting.
Both teams have a solid starting five loaded with power arms. For the Nationals, the emergence of Joe Ross (3.86 ERA) has moved Doug Fister to the bullpen. Ross has struggled of late and has seen his ERA balloon up an entire run over his past two starts. Strasburg’s numbers are bit misleading as he has been a better pitcher over his past six starts, albeit with a DL stint in between. So his health could be a concern the rest of the way. Scherzer, the gem of the off season and the ace of the staff has not disappointed with a 2.73 ERA and a microscopic WHIP of .90. Gio Gonzalez is probably the weakest starter at this point. But even he is capable of shutting a team down during any start.
The Mets have five solid starters. deGrom and Harvey have seemed to have found it. The dynamic duo has given up two or fewer runs in a combined 33 starts this season. That is pitching.
Syndergaard has also pitched well. The second piece in the R.A. Dickey deal, Syndergaard has an ERA in the low 3’s. It will be interesting to see how he finished down the stretch. There is speculation he winds up in the pen for the post season. Niese and Colon, have each had ups and downs. With those ups and downs, the two of them still make up a solid four and five.
Both teams have phenomenal starting pitching, but is there a GM in baseball that would not take the Mets staff? And when Steven Matz returns the Mets staff may actually get better.
Bullpen
- Edge: Even
The acquisition of Johnathan Papelbon at the trade deadline was one of those occasions for which the guy brought in may not be better than the incumbent. But what it did do for the Nationals is lengthen the backend? The 1-2 tandem of Drew Storen to Papelbon is a fine one indeed.
The Mets pen, seemed set when they acquired Tyler Clippard just before the deadline. It seemed as though it would be Bobby Parnell, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia to close out a game. However, Parnell has faltered, making things very dicey. The Mets do not have time to wait out Parnell. Logan Verrett and Vic Black are waiting in Vegas and could see themselves pitching in some important situations come September.
Both teams have starters that can go deep, so the back end seem to be the more important group. Neither team’s pen is perfect. Both can get the job done, or blow it on any given day. Let’s call the pens even.
There you have it, the Mets win, and therefore should have the edge heading down the stretch of this exciting 2015 MLB season.