http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.jsHey, readers. My name’s Doug Gausepohl. I’m a new columnist here at The Mets Report, mainly to give a different perspective to give all readers something to chew on. I’m 20 years young, so I haven’t been through any Mets “glory days”, unless you consider 2000/2006 glory days (I don’t).
If you watched the game last night, you noticed Jason Bay struck out to end the game with the tying run on base. If you’ve watched the Metropolitans on a consistent basis this year, you’ve noticed that Jason Bay’s production has not yet been as advertised.
Through 31 games this year, Bay has hit .248, with 1 HR and 14 RBI.
In my opinion, the most startling differential in his stats so far is his slugging percentage. He has a career .515 SLG, and this year it’s only .389. At his current pace, he’s going to finish with 5 HR and 71 RBI. Let the second-guessing for the Mets not pursuing Matt Holliday further commence.
Is Bay pressing? Probably. Carlos Beltran did it in his first year here, it took him all the way until spring training 2006 to feel comfortable in a Mets uniform. These things can kind of take a back seat when the Mets are winning on a consistent basis, but it’s a glaring black eye when the Mets aren’t.
That said, Bay is a professional. and I fully expect him to up his production in the coming months. He’s always been a streaky hitter and these first 30 games are most likely just part of a prolonged power outage.
The Mets Report 
The problem with Bay thus far isn't really his fault. He's not being protected the same way he was in Boston. Putting a struggling Reyes in front of him in the 3-spot almost assuredly guarantees that Bay will be leading off the 2nd inning instead of being put into RBI opportunities. Wright's a good hitter to bat ahead of – offering some semblance of protection – but Wright isn't a natural in the 5-hole. He has been pressing of late and that has hurt him just as much as it's hurt Bay.
The optimal lineup involves Beltran in the 5-hole, Wright in the 3-hole and Reyes in the leadoff spot. Until this happens, we're going to see our best hitters pressing as they're being served up a pitchers' best stuff.
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Additionally, you could look back to Bay's time in Pittsburgh to note that the Bucs weren't exactly a powerhouse lineup. Where was his protection then? Well, that's true, but the difference in the overall quality of pitchers in the NL Central vs. the NL East is vast. Bay might not of had great lineup protection Pittsburgh, but that was countered by facing weaker pitchers.
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The severe drop in home runs doesn't have anything to do with where he's batting in the lineup. Batting anywhere from first to ninth, Bay has always been able to drive the ball out of the ballpark, which he hasn't done this year at all for the most part.
Bay can't use the batters around him as an excuse to not hit well. And if Reyes does get on, Bay will get a TON of fastballs to give the catcher a chance to throw out Reyes should he so decide to try and take a base. And referring to your NL East vs. NL Central remark, the NL East may have stronger pitching now, but when Bay had his good years in Pittsburgh (2005-2006), the NL Central featured a strong Roy Oswalt, Carlos Zambrano, Aaron Harang, Chris Carpenter, etc.
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