Scott Hairston is no Mike Baxter off the bench. Mike Baxter as a pinch hitter so far this season is hitting .444/BA 5/2B 6/RBI 6/R. Hairston on the other hand is hitting .083/BA 0/2B 0/RBI 0/R. But this is not about Hairston as a Pinch hitter. This is about how Hairston when he has played Left Field has been just as good as Baxter has been as a pinch hitter.
With Jason Bay on the dl Hairston has given the Mets production out of LF in minimal at bats similar to what everyday NL Left-Fielders have given their team so far this season.
Hairston as a Left-Fielder has produced for the Mets 13 rbi’s over 46 at bats. That is 8 less than players like Martin Prado of Atlanta & Jason Kubel of Arizona have produced over 156 & 147 at bats respectively.
If you look at the players listed below Hairston ranks pretty favorably amongst them when you consider what he has done in limited play as a Left-Fielder. His line of .304/BA .333/OBP .609/SLG 3/HR 3/2B 1/3B 13/RBI 7/R is part of the reason this Mets team are 5 games above .500 today.
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9 comments
Stickguy
5/27/2012-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
Bay coming back (take your time, hoser) is really going to screw over one of these guys, and Hairston is still to me the most logical casualty. Good thing it seems like Bay could still be weeks to a month away.
drklynoon
5/27/2012-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
I’m starting to think that Torres could be the odd man out. I know how that appears but if you look at it, Bay LF Kirk CF Duda RF Baxter CF?PH Hairston Corners/ PH This makes alot of sense. Torres isn’t stealing bases so his speed is useless. He isn’t getting on base. He is just not playing well. If I was Terry and I had to give my recomendation this is what I would want.
Stickguy
5/27/2012-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t see it happening, but I cold go with that.
srt
5/27/2012-12:48pm at 12:48 pm (UTC -4)
I’m torn on this – and depends on when Bay actually does make it back.
Wondering if Kirk will be the casualty, simply b/c he has options.
Prismo
5/27/2012-5:26pm at 5:26 pm (UTC -4)
All I can say is…that I’m glad I don’t have to make this decision.
gategem
5/27/2012-8:36pm at 8:36 pm (UTC -4)
Yet there are bloggers out there listing the injury to Bay among the woes me injuries that have hit the Mets (and if not all than most of the teams).
Stickguy
5/27/2012-8:41pm at 8:41 pm (UTC -4)
it could have hurt to an extent, but only if they would have made him a platoon guy back then. if not, then he would have been killing the team by being useless vs. RHP.
drklynoon
5/27/2012-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
Any other decision would be harmful to the development of the youngsters or would hurt their chances to win ballgames. Torres won’t be here next year so what difference would it make to lose him now. Maybe it’s just a pipedream lol.
Stickguy
5/27/2012-12:55pm at 12:55 pm (UTC -4)
depends. are they trying to win games this year, or give OTJ to younger guys? nice to have the newbies develop, but as long as they are in the middle of the race, they need to do what is reasonable to try and stay in it.
But, this could be an easier answer, since besides being a veteran (but really, not that many years in the majors as a starter), and (marginally at best) a better fielder (which I am not full sold on), torres is actually the worse player now. So no matter which way you think, it makes sense to odd man out him.