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A lineup starts with the leadoff hitter. Someone must always come first, but there is a lot more to an effective lineup than just who is hitting at the top of the order. Let's take a look at the best seasons the Mets have had from their leadoff hitter and compare those performances to the team's overall success.
Using on-base percentage as the barometer—the chief attribute of any good leadoff man—we can find the twenty best seasons by Mets leadoff hitters. There is a wide distribution in terms of relationship to team success. The worst season, 1962, had Richie Ashburn and his .414 OBP, second-best all-time by a Mets hitter batting first in the order. There was also Lenny Dykstra's 1986 season and Tommie Agee's 1969 season, both World Series winning teams, landing in the top ten.
Then, somehow, 18th on the list was Eric Young Jr.'s 2013 season.
Rk | Player | Year | Team Record | PA | OBP | R | SB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rickey Henderson | 1999 | 97-66 | 517 | 0.417 | 87 | 36 |
2 | Richie Ashburn | 1962 | 40-120 | 426 | 0.414 | 55 | 12 |
3 | Lenny Randle | 1977 | 64-98 | 537 | 0.383 | 71 | 29 |
4 | Jose Reyes | 2011 | 77-85 | 584 | 0.383 | 100 | 39 |
5 | Brett Butler | 1995 | 69-75 | 416 | 0.378 | 53 | 20 |
6 | Lenny Dykstra | 1986 | 108-54 | 446 | 0.376 | 71 | 31 |
7 | Lance Johnson | 1996 | 71-91 | 702 | 0.362 | 112 | 50 |
8 | Jose Reyes | 2008 | 89-73 | 763 | 0.358 | 113 | 56 |
9 | Wally Backman | 1984 | 90-72 | 480 | 0.357 | 65 | 31 |
10 | Tommie Agee | 1969 | 100-62 | 420 | 0.355 | 69 | 11 |
11 | Jose Reyes | 2006 | 97-65 | 699 | 0.354 | 121 | 64 |
12 | Jose Reyes | 2007 | 88-74 | 765 | 0.354 | 119 | 78 |
13 | Lenny Dykstra | 1987 | 92-70 | 442 | 0.347 | 76 | 24 |
14 | Tommie Agee | 1970 | 83-79 | 676 | 0.341 | 105 | 29 |
15 | Roger Cedeno | 2003 | 66-95 | 414 | 0.333 | 59 | 12 |
16 | Jose Reyes | 2010 | 79-83 | 507 | 0.333 | 70 | 24 |
17 | Bud Harrelson | 1967 | 61-101 | 533 | 0.319 | 53 | 11 |
18 | Eric Young | 2013 | 74-88 | 417 | 0.319 | 48 | 38 |
19 | Mookie Wilson | 1982 | 65-97 | 659 | 0.311 | 88 | 57 |
20 | Lenny Dykstra | 1988 | 100-60 | 434 | 0.310 | 52 | 28 |