For those Mets fans who have been living under a rock this season, the Mets have a big problem in left field in the form of Jason Bay.
The 32-year-old outfielder has been, well, awful at the plate this year. Truthfully, he's taken a big step backward ever since he signed with the Mets before the 2010 season.
Bay hit .267/.384/.537 (.921 OPS) in his last year for the Red Sox in 2009, finishing 7th in MVP voting and winning a Silver Slugger. That year his OPS+ was 134, and his wOBA was .397 with a 137 wRC+.
But ever since coming to New York in 2010, Bay's offensive numbers have taken a nose dive.
In 598 plate appearances over the last year and a half, Bay is hitting just .247/.333/.362, a .696 OPS and a 92 OPS+, or 8% below league average.
This year especially, Bay has struggled mightily, hitting just .222/.306/.281, an awful .587 OPS and 67 OPS+. His wOBA this season is just .275, and his wRC+ is 71.
Any way you want to measure it, Bay is having a terrible season. He's pretty much been a colossal disappointment since signing his 4-year, $66 million contract (that can easily vest to 5 years at $80 million, for that matter.)
Yet, as friend of the site Aaron Leibowitz of Rising Apple wrote last week, Bay has been all class in the face of adversity, and it's hard not to admire that.
"There have been no water coolers attacked or walls punched; no bleeped-out interviews; no mental mistakes; no half-assed running to first; and no lollygagging in left field (where he’s done an excellent job). Not many ballplayers today fit that description, even when they are playing well.
Day after day, Bay has patiently fielded questions about his hitting woes — what’s wrong, how he’s trying to fix it, and how he feels about it all. His frustration and disappointment are palpable, but not once have they spilled over into the dugout or onto the field."
It's a great point, and it's something that I've been thinking about over the last few weeks.
There have been plenty of guys in every sport that aren't exactly the most savory of characters, but fans don't mind it because they can flat-out play. I won't name names, but it's easy to think of guys we've all rooted for who were great players but not exactly All-Stars off the field.
On the other end of the spectrum, there's Jason Bay. A former Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star and once feared slugger who seems to have been sapped of his power but has taken it in stride.
Bay has been a team-first guy, giving advice to some of the rookies who have come up and taken some of his playing time, among other things.
He's always hustling, constantly trying to beat out routine ground balls, and he's playing solid defense. And as Leibowitz aptly wrote: "In the midst of an awful situation ... Jason has handled himself with the utmost class, selflessness, and self-control."
It's stuff like this that makes me want to cheer loud and proud for Bay, if only he'd let me. I haven't seen a guy in a Mets uniform totally lose it like this since Roberto Alomar.
The guy is flat-out not slugging the baseball. He has just six extra-base hits in 197 plate appearances this year. Unfortunately for Bay, this is not a business where the nice guy gets cheered for being a great role model.
It's a results-based business, and until the highly-paid outfielder starts producing with some pop at the plate, he is likely going to be ostracized by Mets fans and possibly even booed.
I'm not sure if booing the guy is going to be productive, though. I really want to start cheering in earnest for Bay, and not just because he hit a ball hard. Until then I'll politely golf clap his slap singles and keep my fingers crossed.
The Mets need Jason Bay. More importantly, they cannot get rid of him, either. He's here for the long haul, so let's hope he can get it together sooner rather than later.
Follow me on Twitter @metsjetsnets88 and @TheSheaFaithful
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