There may not be a more polarizing New York Met these days than Ruben Tejada. Fans are either bearish or bullish when it comes to the future of the 22-year old shortstop/second baseman from Panama.
In other words, there is hardly any consensus when it comes to what to expect from Tejada for 2012 and beyond.
Ready or not, though, Tejada will assume the starting gig at shortstop replacing, dare I say the legendary Jose Reyes. Suffice to say, that’s not easy shoes he has to fill.
No one is expecting the production left by Reyes to be filled by Tejada. But at least Tejada can pick up the slack when it comes to defense and can provide the Mets with a steady bat.
So, what can we expect from Tejada?
Well, every little bit of incremental improvement is the least we can ask for.
In 2011, Tejada improved tremendously when it came to handling his bat. His batting average jumped 71 points from .214 in 2010 (in 216 at bats) to .284 this past year (in 328 at bats).
Tejada showed a better grasp of the strike zone this past season and is better at recognizing pitches out of the strike zone. Tejada doesn’t look outmatched at the plate anymore. Tejada also bumped his OBP dramatically, raising it from .305 in 2010 to .360 in 2011. For good measure, Tejada also raised his OPS from .588 in 2010 to .696 last year.
Proponents of Tejada will point to the aforementioned stats and say that Tejada is progressing as a major league ball player. On the flip side, many detractors will point out that Tejada is nothing more than an average hitter who can’t hit for power (one home run and 27 doubles in 544career at-bats) nor is he any danger on the base paths (seven stolen bases in 174 career games).
While Tejada will not make any fans forget what they lost in Reyes, we also have to remember how young Tejada is and that there is going to be some growing pains in his maturation as an everyday player.
The glare of the spotlight will be intense for Tejada, and far too many times it will be overwhelming. Tejada may struggle trying to appease a mostly scorn and apathetic fanbase reeling from the loss of Reyes.
Replacing Reyes will be a process. There is no quick fix in store, but Tejada has the chance to make an impact when all is said and done.
Some may not like the production Tejada will give the Mets, but he is a gamer, a hustler and a coaches’ dream. Every team needs a player like Tejada.
It’s just too bad that Tejada will be needed to replace the Mets’ most effective and beloved shortstop ever and not some Johnny-come-lately. If Tejada was replacing anyone besides Reyes, then his transition would be a lot smoother with his every move not having to be so scrutinized.
So, to answer the question, I don’t think Tejada is ready for primetime, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a reliable shortstop with the Mets for years to come.
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Hi Dan,
Im really happy you have taken the effort to get Tejada on the table. Im in the strong supporter camp. At 22 we have seen a nice positive trajectory on all fronts. Last year he more than acceptably fit into hole Reyes left with injury, after injury. As August and September played out, his defense, which admittedly has occasional lapses, showed flashes of real brilliance. And, his bat came to life, in a number of games at critical junctures that led to key runs. I hope we fans can give him the support he needs. He is not Reyes, nor should he be. He needs to make ss his place now. Clearly, the more fielding and plate attempts he gets, he is responding in the positive. Free from the question of waking up every day and wondering whether it’ll be 2B or SS, I think we will see Ruben take this over in a great way. My main concern right now is whether he has a full season in him. I hope he can get some more strength in, which will serve him for a grueling season and perhaps give him more punch at the dish. I have to add that Im down on the vocal detractors, esp in MLB world (Casey, I love ya, but give this kid a break!). Tejada has performed and improved admirably on both sides of the game. He works hard to be good — I havent heard him complain about his assignments. Sure, he does not have the magic smile and flash and clubhouse presence of Reyes, but he is who he is. Give him time to climb out from the “Reyes” shadow, none of which was of his making. My opinion is that we have a gem in the works. In the middle infield, I have waaaaay more concerns at 2B. Lets forget about SS, and move on to other HUGE issues that the team has, say for example a pitching staff in total ruins, even with the recent additions from the Winter Meetings.
As an aside, I sure wish Sandy would have picked up Pudge or Varitek to give Thole a real hand behind the plate.
Happy holidays all.
Chris
For all the naysayers, all I can say is that he is a major league vet at the age of 22. How many ballplayers can we say that about. And looking at his minor league career, he has improved each and every year. I hope he can keep it up.
Last year the average NL SS had a .686 OPS. and Tejada was a .695 OPS. The avg #2 hitter was .682 OPS, the avg #7 hitter was .692 and the avg #8 hitter was .674 therefore Rubin would fit in to any of these slots in the batting order. He has improved every year, he is already better than half the SS in the NL, he is sound defensively and he is only 22 YOA. What is not to like? When you look around the league, the Mets and their fans should be glad they have Tejada at SS because at it’s worst he is just average but at his best no one knows what his ceiling will be.