Beltran the Whipping Boy?
Carlos Beltran has had one extremely interesting career so far. In about nine years he has gone from prospect oozing with potential to productive rookie to possible hall of fame track performer to the most clutch playoff hitter ever to the most sought after free agent to the most overrated and derided player in New York to 40-HR power on a division champ. That has all led up to his current status, which, if you asked most Mets fans, would be slightly overrated.
I’m sure there will be some Mets supporters reading this that find it laughable that their compadres could find Beltran overrated, but I have heard enough fans and read enough blog posts and articles to know that, on some level, this opinion exists. Perhaps the sentiments stem from Beltran’s non-chalance on the field and at the plate. He does everything with such confidence that it looks as if he isn’t trying at all. Couple that with the blank stare often found on his face and you have the perfect makings of a guy who couldn’t possibly succeed as a vocal leader on the field, which seems to bug the Shea faithful.
My question is…. who cares!?!?
Seriously, who cares if he is or isn’t a team leader? For all we know, he just might be very vocal in the locker room. And as long as he gets to the flyball, who cares if he floats to it thanks to his excellent range and speed, or goes into full-fledged Eckstein-gritmaster mode? If he didn’t get to flyballs then maybe there would be a point to this non-chalance, but according to the +- system, there has not been a better centerfielder in the sport since 2006. In that span, 2006 to right now, Beltran is +57 plays better than an average centerfielder.
Yes, he struggled in his inaugural Metropolitans campaign, but that was three years ago and he has more than rebounded. In 2006, he hit 41 home runs and posted a .982 OPS. Last year, he hit 33 home runs and had an .878 OPS. Sure, it was much lower than 2006, but still very good, not just when compared to his 2005, but especially so when coupled with his NL best +24 plays in the outfield.
This year, he only has 19 home runs, so it is not very likely he will match the totals of the previous two seasons, but his win probability metrics are not too far off last year’s course. With a month remaining, he currently has a WPA/LI of 2.05 (17th in the NL) and a WPA of 2.26 (15th in the NL). Last year, he had a WPA/LI of 2.91 and a WPA of 2.03.
Over the last three calendar years, he has 9.23 context-neutral wins, which is good for 8th in the NL, right behind Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, and has been one of the, if not the, senior circuit’s best centerfielder. Generally speaking, top-ten offense and top-five defense equates to a very good player. Can someone please make the opposing case? I’m not being sarcastic at all, but rather curious to hear from those who do not like him.
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From what I’ve seen/heard/gnashed my teeth over, the anti-Beltran contingent of the Mets’ fanbase tends to zero in on two things:
1. The amount of money Beltran makes
2. His batting average
Never mind that Beltran is one of the best centerfielders in baseball on both sides of the ball, in their eyes he’s “getting paid 18 million a year to hit .260.”
Mets’ fans have long memories, and some simply can’t get over his 2005 performance, particularly after signing the large contract. Nevermind that he was playing injured most of the year (in an attempt to justify said contract), including a broken face sustained from his collision with Mike Cameron.
But an equally big reason was what happened in Game 7 of the NLCS. That backwards K with the bases loaded is something many Mets fans can’t forget, despite the way he dominated over the rest of the playoffs.
Beltran is also unfairly slagged by talk radio personalities in the New York area. They call him a choker and “unclutch”, also things like lazy and fragile and soft.
Beltran’s only got 20 HR this year, but he’s hit a bunch of doubles and triples, getting his slugging up near .500, and he regularly OBPs about .360-.375 which is solid. That’s sick numbers for a CF.
Even though he’s talked about so highly in the media, Torii Hunter has NEVER had a year like that. And while this is considered an “off” year for Beltran, it’s still better than any Torii Hunter season ever. And Hunter gets paid more. And he’s in his decline years, while Beltran is still in his prime.
How many times does Beltran have to crash into a wall or dive into a hill to catch a ball before people stop saying he doesn’t play hard? He’s been injured a few times over the past few years, but usually it’s because he’s bashing into a wall making a catch or slamming into someone on the basepaths. Speaking of which, in addition to his high power numbers for a CF, he also steals 20-25 bases a year while only getting caught twice. I think some people in the New York media, who inexplicably favor small ball when you have the most profitable franchises in the universe, would rather have him run all the time and get caught a whole lot.
New York “fans” (myself being from NY and a Mets fan) are borderline retarded. Beltran has been great.
I think T-Pac nailed it with the 2006 NLCS comment. You’ll still hear fans screaming “swing the bat” at him in big spots. It was a heartbreaking moment for the fanbase and many have not gotten over it. The fact that it was a filthy pitch from Wainwright doesn’t matter.
The “unclutch” tag is also thrown around a lot. As most educated fans know, it’s undeserved. But in the eyes of NY Sports Radio and media personalities the fact that Beltran hasn’t “put the team on his back” like Delgado or Wright at some point contributes to this.
All that being said, one big playoff series (or entire playoff performance) and this will all be moot.
There will, however, always be those across town that say “he’ll never be Bernie Williams”…
Beltran’s probably one of the ten best position players in the majors right now. That’s worth $18MM for sure.
Well, he should get a pass from even the most negative Mets fans – at least until tomorrow night :-)