Grades for the Month of April

I thought since it was an off night that I'd try to rate some aspects of the Mets play this past month. I'll also try to give a rating to some of the players too. I try not to get to involved with my reasons, but just give a quick overview. I would really like some feed back about the players I mention, or about a player you think deserves mentioning.

I'll start with the brightest aspect of the Mets team so far. The starting pitching has been better than expected and was had far fewer surprises than last year.

Johan has been very good, but not the shutdown pitcher we had hoped for, YET. He's given the team quality starts and has pitched deeper into games than anyone else. Once the weather warms up, I believe so will Santana. He's given up a few home runs, but is walking fewer hitters and striking out his share. His record is 3-2, but could be 5-1. He left one game with the lead, and got no run support in a game against the Braves. He gave up 1 run and got the loss. Johan's ERA is at 3.12, so I except it to fall some more in the near future. I give Johan a "B+".

John Maine has gotten better as the season as progressed. His 1st game was bad, but he's pitched well enough to merit our trust. His 2-2 record is a bit deceiving. He's pitched well enough to be 4-1. He left games with the lead, only to have the bull-pen blow it for him, or not get any run support. His walks are really the only major issue. He seems to be the victim of a shrinking strike zone, but he's adjusting ok. If he can get into the 7th inning he should get more chances for the win. His ERA is down to 3.58, so he's headed in the right direction. I give John a "B".

Oliver Perez is up to his old tricks. He's great for a couple of innings, and then it all falls apart for him. He seem to be easily distracted and unable to pick up the team when something goes wrong. Even in his 1st 2 victories, he couldn't get out of the 6th inning. His walks come by the basketful and he can't seem to stop them. Once the walks start, they only stop when Ollie is removed from the game. His ERA started out in the 2s, but has now ballooned to 4.03. Ollie also has 21 walks in 29 innings. Not very good. Oliver gets a "C-" from me.

Mike Pelfrey is a small surprise this spring. The last few weeks of spring training he struggled and only won a spot in the rotation when Grandpa Hernandez could pitch. He started out good but has had difficulties his last few games. He's 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA. He has 10 strikeouts and 10 walks to go with 29 hits in 22 innings. Not very good. But it is an improvement from last year when he started 0-7. I give Mike a "C" .

Nelson Figueroa is the biggest surprise this spring. He's been very good [2-1, and 4.08 era]and never really seems to get rattled. Which begs this question. Why didn't anyone sign him to a contract before the Mets? With pitching so hard to find, I don't know why Nelson would be struggling to find a job in MLB. He throws numerous pitches for strikes, has a fastball between 86-90 MPH, and gives you innings. In his Mets debut, he retired the first 14 batters to face him. He came into Ollie's meltdown game on 2 days rest, and pitched well for 3 innings. Too bad Ollie didn't pitch like Nelson. Because of his surprise showing this spring, I give Nelson a "B" for his efforts.

Now for the Hitting. This is a troubling aspect for the Mets. Too few people are hitting, and when they do hit, it's at the wrong time. The offense is continuing to play without any energy or passion. And few players are earning their pay.

Ryan Church is more than anyone could have hoped for. He's crushing left handed pitching, driving in runs, scoring runs, and playing a great outfield. All that was heard from too many fans was how bad of a trade this was. Nobody liked trading Milledge [I thought it was a good trade] and everyone was saying how Ryan couldn't hit left handed pitchers. Well so much for them. He goes about his business like a professional, plays hard everyday, and has more good days than bad. Who could ask for more? I give him an "A" for his efforts.

David Wright has been great, and not so great. He's in a little funk now, but has shown some life in the last few games. He's the leader in most offensive stats on the team. At one time this season he was hitting .345 and was leading the league in RBI. His swoon at the plate has brought his average down to .281, but that should start climbing above .300 very soon. His 5 errors are not very good, but no one ever said David was perfect in the field. 3rd base is called the "HOT CORNER" for a reason. Balls hit there are moving at warp speed. I give David a "B-" so far this year. I expect better from him, so his grade will suffer for now.

Jose' Reyes is lost. His average is at .250 and not getting any better. His OBP is .307. The only everyday player lower is Delgado at .297. Even Santana has a higher OBP [.313]. He only has 6 steals and 9 walks. the worst part of it is the fact that he's not getting any better. He has a good game or two, and then does nothing for the next 3-4 games. Jose's fielding hasn't been the greatest either. He has 5 errors, and has been out of position many times this spring. He seems to be daydreaming in the field and at the plate. Until he gets his head on straight, the season will be rough for him and the Mets. He gets a "C-" from me so far.

Carlos Delgado can be summed up in a few words. He's done in NY. His fielding is costing the Mets runs, and his lack of a bat is causing too many outs. His average is at .198 and his OBP at .297. He has 20 strikeouts, 19 hits, and only 12 RBI. He refuses to admit he has problems, and does nothing to correct them. To make matters worse, Willie loves him. I doubt Carlos even matches his paltry stats from last year. He gets an "F" for the season so far.

Carlos Beltran is MIA this spring. Where is the hitter that had 5 doubles in his 1st 6 ABs? Carlos is hitting .212 with 21 strikeouts and only 19 hits. Beltran and Delgado truly are the Carlos brothers. Their stats are so alike, it's scary. They are the major reason why the Mets offense is so anemic. Until he wakes up at the plate, David will continue to see a stead diet of sliders and curveballs on the outside corner of the plate. Pitchers no longer fear the Carlos brothers. Until that happens, the offense will sputter. Carlos also gets a "F" for his lack of results.

As bad as the offense has been, Heilman and Sosa have been worse. They have single handily cost the Mets at least 5 wins this season. They have given up 3 GRANDSLAMS in APRIL alone. They can't get anyone out, and don't seem to remember how to pitch. All Aaron wants to throw is his change-up. And all Sosa wants to throw is his slider. When you only throw 1 pitch, it doesn't take long for hitters to pound the baseball. If it was possible to give them something lower than a "F", I would.