Mets Player Performance Meter, Week 3

With last night's win over the Nationals the Mets have finally moved out of the NL East cellar and into fourth place, five games back of the Phillies and just a game behind third-place Atlanta. You're never quite as good as you look against the Astros, Diamondbacks, and Nats, beating the dregs of the National League is better than losing to them, and a nearly week-long winning streak is uplifting to both team and fan regardless of the teams beaten.

These ratings do not include the results of last night's game.

Player	Last Week	This Week	Comment
Jason Bay, LF			I guess all Bay needed was nine months off to figure things out. I can't say I'd suggest or prefer anyone else try it, but he's hitting .368/.429/.632 since returning.
Pedro Beato, RP			Mets starters have logged a lot of innings of late, and with Izzy and Frankie closing out games the middle of the bullpen hasn't seen much action. Case in point: Beato hasn't allowed a run this season yet still only appeared in a single game this week.
Carlos Beltran, RF			Another nice week for Beltran, who hit .375/.423/.542 this week with four doubles and has made a seamless transition to right field with his customary grace and, as usual, very little fanfare.
Taylor Buchholz, RP			Four strikeouts, no walks, and no runs allowed in four innings, he's pitching a lot better than Clay Buchholz.
Tim Byrdak, RP			Byrdak gets up in the bullpen at least once a night, but that warmup action has rarely translated to in-game action.
Chris Capuano, SP			He had a nice start against Houston this week on the heels of a dreadful start against Colorado the week before.
D.J. Carrasco, RP			He pitched himself into the minors.
Ike Davis, 1B			A barely-worth-mentioning .455/.480/.955 at the plate this week. If that last number looks like it might just be his OPS, rest assured that it's actually his slugging percentage.
R.A. Dickey, SP			Had the longest outing by a Mets starter this season when he pitched eight innings against the Astros, but he also allowed all four runs in the 4-3 Mets loss.
Dillon Gee, SP			Gee had another really nice start this week and will probably get a start this weekend if Pelfrey isn't over his stomach bug.
Scott Hairston, OF			Just one plate appearance this week — a walk. By comparison, Willie Harris had nine trips to the plate (more on that below). Is Terry Collins so beholden to the lefty/righty pinch-hitting matchup that he'll continue to use an inferior player (Harris) in spite of mounting evidence that said player isn't any good at hitting? That answer is a resounding "Yes."
Willie Harris, OF			Harris went 1-for-8 with a hit-by-pitch this week as the first (but not best) option off the bench. He's an offensive sinkhole and should be treated as such by remaining on the bench until all other pinch-hitting options have been exhausted.
Ryota Igarashi, RP			He has been very good so far, which is a pleasant surprise considering how poorly he pitched for most of last year and that he began this year without a spot on the 40-man roster.
Jason Isringhausen, RP			Six strikeouts, one walk, two runs allowed in 6.2 innings since joining the team from extended spring training. He's been getting two fly outs for every ground out, which might not play as well outside of Citi Field, but for now I'm drinking the Kool-Aid.
Daniel Murphy, 2B			Hit .381/.458/.571 this week, his first as the full-time second baseman after Brad Emaus's silent exit from Metsland. He's a work-in-progress defensively but his bat is really shining at a position that is typically short on offense.
Mike Nickeas, C			Had a single, a homer, and a walk in seven trips to the plate this week, but he'll be gone by this weekend when Ronny Paulino returns from suspension/injury.
Jonathon Niese, SP			He's keeping the walks reasonable and the batted balls on the ground (1.85 GB rate).
Angel Pagan, CF			Was 0-for-6 with a walk this week before a pulled oblique landed him on the disabled list.
Bobby Parnell, RP			On the disabled list with a circulation problem in his middle finger.
Mike Pelfrey, SP			Pelfrey had his best start of the season against the Diamondbacks this week, but a stomach bug has him down ten pounds and has put his scheduled Friday start in jeopardy.
Jason Pridie, CF			Hitting .267/.312/.467 in Pagan's absence, Pridie has so far provided precisely what the Mets have needed in center: solid defense and serviceable offense.
Jose Reyes, SS			Nine hits in 25 at-bats this week — all singles — plus a couple of walks. The walk rate overall is down a bit compared to his best years in 2007 and 2008, but on balance he's playing like a shortstop you might seriously consider giving $80 million to.
Francisco Rodriguez, RP			Fourteen strikeouts in 9.2 innings is great, but eight games finished so far leaves just 47 remaining before his $17.5 million option vests for 2012.
Josh Thole, C			Just two hits and no walks this week, Thole has looked overmatched at the plate for most of the season. Just four walks in 70ish plate appearances means he's now the proud owner of zero above-average offensive traits.
Justin Turner, 2B			Murphy is getting most of the playing time at second, but Turner still had a couple of hits in limited playing time since replacing Emaus on the roster.
David Wright, 3B			.273/.429/.737 with three homers and six walks this week. His overall numbers — .247/.336/.473 — are unspectacular, but they're nevertheless trending in the right direction.
Chris Young, SP			The good news: He's back from the disabled list. The bad news: He allowed three home runs.