In the past, Jose Reyes has been called "the most exciting player in baseball."
I'm not going to claim that he is or he isn't. It really isn't all that important.
What I do know is that he is damn exciting.
Right now we're watching an All-Star shortstop play the best baseball of his career, and it's breathtaking.
Through his first 66 games, Reyes leads the majors with 101 hits and a .347 batting average. He also has a ridiculous 35 multi-hit games.
He has 20 doubles, second in the National League behind teammate Carlos Beltran who has one more.
He has an MLB-best 12 triples. No one else in all of baseball has more than 6. He also has 23 steals, second in the NL.
But here's where it takes a turn for the ridiculous.
Reyes is also in the top ten in the National League in on-base percentage. That's right.
After going 3 for 6 in Thursday's 10-inning loss to the Braves, Reyes bumped his OBP up to .390 on the season. That's 10th in the NL, and the highest of any player in the NL East, for what it's worth.
Not only that, but Reyes is incredibly 6th in the NL in slugging percentage as well with his .531 SLG.
Yes, you read that right. Let that sink in for a second.
The same Jose Reyes who has just 3 home runs this year is out-slugging Jay Bruce (7th in SLG), Joey Votto (10th), Ryan Howard (16th), and Albert Pujols (19th).
It sounds crazy, but it's true. Matt Kemp leads the league in slugging, followed by Lance Berkman, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun, respectively. Sitting there at 5th and 6th are Marlins slugger Mike Stanton and Reyes.
All in all, Reyes is 6th in the NL in OPS through his first 66 games, and when you watch him you almost expect him to get 2 or 3 hits every day now.
No one knows for sure what the future will be like for Jose Reyes, whether he stays a Met long-term or if his days are numbers.
All I know is that I love watching him play baseball right now. The Mets have never had an MVP in their franchise history, and right now Reyes is making a strong case to be the first.
Well, for the first two and a half months, at least. There's no telling how long he can keep up this pace. He has to slump eventually, right? Right?
He's only had 13 hitless games all season, and just two so far in the month of June.
Right now, watching Jose Reyes on the diamond is like poetry in motion. It's pure art.
From his bare-handed plays in the field, to his incredible hot streak at the plate that's gone basically the whole season to date, it is really incredible to watch.
It's impossible to know what the future holds. But the present is pretty damn amazing. Reyes will keep running, and hopefully keep hitting. Do yourself a favor and keep watching.
Follow me on Twitter @metsjetsnets88 and @TheSheaFaithful
Written by:
