FanPost

The Case for Eric Young Jr. Part Deux.

New York Mets

right now the sample size is so small that the numbers don't matter. for instance Murphy was hitting .250 before he came into a game and at the end of a game he was at .320. the variance in the numbers is so great because of the minute amount of AB that stats have to be discounted or at the very least taken with a grain of salt. so we have to rely on our eyes and what i have seen of EYJ on the field is that he is accomplishing his task as a lead off hitter and helping this team win games.

his intangibles are helping the team win games and the numbers are not and have not reflected the type of player he is. for instance if E.Young bunts down the 1B line the 1B has to make a perfect throw to get EYJ out because of his speed. if the 1B misses or makes an error that does not count towards EYJ average. if he throws it away and EYJ ends up on second that does not count as a double. then if the ball gets to the OF EYJ will be on 3rd base with no stats in EYJ favor in the box score to reflect what just transpired on the field. those errors are not solely on the defense they simply would not have been made with a slower player. he steals 2B and ends up on 3rd because the catcher has to make a perfect throw to the bag to get him out instead of just throwing to the fielder. he moves over on balls that gets away from the catcher only a little and almost no other player would. whenever EYJ is in the box or on base he makes the defense nervous. they should be nervous because he is just wreaking havoc on the base paths and always seems to be getting into scoring position. he demands the pitchers divide their attention between the batter in the box and him on any base. the catchers and the fielders have to keep an eye on him at all times. which then opens up holes in the defense for other hitters in the lineup and leads to more hits for those players behind him. there is no stat line to account for that but it does matter.

the main problem i have with EYJ and where most fans see fault in is his stick is that bat in a corner OF. if EYJ could play SS every fan would love him because the Mets would be subtracting a light hitting Tejada and inserting a power platoon in a corner of Brown and Capt.Kirk or when Lagares is healthy Granderson C.Young and Lagares. that is really an indictment of the way this team is constructed not EYJ. not to overemphasize this point but to go into the numbers a little more here is why this makes sense. 2013 MLB average for a SS is .254/.308/.372 and Tejada is about that. 2013 MLB average for a LF is .259/.323/.412. if the Mets were getting LF type production from SS by way of Flores or someone else then they could more easily carry EYJ non power but still productive bat in a corner. or if the Mets were getting more power from 1B like every other team but the Mets seem to have ( MLB average for a 1B is .261/.336/.436) EYJ would also not look so bad. that C.Young singing happened so early in the season that it seemed desperate and really a move i wish they did not make. i would so much rather have put that cash towards Drew or given the job to Flores. so EYJ would have an everyday spot and i would not have to deal with seeing Tejada.

i think far too many people look at stats in lieu of watching games. stats are great i like them as much as the next guy. but to me stats are meant to contextualize what i'm seeing in games not as a substitute of watching. i also use stats to make me question what i'm seeing on the field. i think some people rely so heavily on numbers that they don't use the numbers to question what they think or see. they use only numbers to draw conclusions on a team or some just allow stats change their opinions for too quickly.

(here is something for the stat heads to keep in mind because i know u will just dismiss this post. for Eric Young Jr career when he is leading off an inning he's hitting .289/.365/.375 in 520-PA and with no one on base he has a .265/.339/.342 line in 920-PA he presses to drive in runs or move players over but when no one is out there he relaxes lets the game come to him)

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