Hartnett: Ruben Tejada Developing Into Mets' Second Base Mainstay
'Hart of the Order'
By Sean Hartnett
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Since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on August 8th, Ruben Tejada has caught fire. The 21-year old Panamanian was hitting just .250 when he returned but has put together a stretch of multi-hit games, raising his average to a robust .282.
This could well be the exception and not the rule as Tejada is batting .364 in August with a sensational on-base percentage of .440. Those numbers are unworldly and appear unrealistic even with Jose Reyes next to him at shortstop. Could Tejada develop enough to become a .300 hitter in the future? It's possible but time will tell.
Terry Collins for one has been impressed by Tejada's improvement at the dish. "I think Ruben in the last month has really done an outstanding job, especially offensively, which is where everybody had some concerns about whether or not he was going to be able to handle it up here," Collins told The New York Times.
The Mets will be very pleased if Tejada can match his current numbers over a full season. If he can hit near the .280-mark with an OBP above .360 to go along with his sparkling defense, Tejada will be a very valuable player in 2012 and prove he is much more than just a skilled defender.
Defense will always be Tejada's greatest asset. If the Mets are able to keep Reyes in Flushing for the long-term, he and Tejada will form a sensational double play combo. Tejada's fielding is already at an advanced level and has entertained fans at Citi Field with his range, agility and diving plays. To keep his glove alongside Reyes, Tejada will have to beat out competition with his bat.
Before his season-ending MCL injury, Daniel Murphy was having wonderful resurgence at the plate batting .320. Unfortunately for Murphy, he does not have a natural position in the field and is barely adequate at second base. Going into Spring Training 2012, Collins will have to make the call whether he prefers Murphy's bat to Tejada's glove.
Another option is Justin Turner whose hot numbers have waned as the year's gone on. Turner appeared to be a competent hitter through mid-July but a difficult August has dropped his average to .257. Like Murphy, Turner isn't a strong fielder and lately he's made a number of costly throwing errors. If Turner's slide continues through the end of the 2011 season, he will find himself falling down Collins' list of second base options for 2012.
Tejada has a leg-up on either of his competitors, especially if he can continue producing at the plate. Providing Reyes is still a Met in 2012, he provides the best overall case for Collins going forward. Tejada is younger than either of his second base rivals and possesses significantly higher upside.
Neither Murphy nor Turner can do much to improve their defense but Tejada already has all the necessary glove work. Murphy is a talented hitter, there's no doubt about it but he may be better suited to being a part-time player and key pinch hitter. With work, maybe Tejada can become that .300-type batter in future and if that turns out to be the case, the Mets will have a great second baseman for years to come.
Met fans – do you envision Tejada as the Mets' 2012 Opening Day shortstop? Do you believe that either Murphy or Turner makes a better option? Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartyLFC.
