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Jose Reyes - Best Leadoff hitter ever?

12
Vote

by user MetsJetsDevils

Earlier in the year the computer baseball club made the argument that Kevin Youkilis was a better leadoff hitter than Jose Reyes, among other silly statements. However, when one steps away from the algorithms for a second it turns out that Jose Reyes is not only the best leadoff hitter in baseball, but he may actually be the best leadoff hitter in history. As pointed out in today's New York Post, no shortstop has compiled Reyes' numbers since Honus Wagner in 1908. a .301 average, 172 hits, 27 doubles, 16 triples, 18 homeruns, 113 runs and 56 stolen bases.

Jose Reyes has a long way to go before he can realistically be called the greatest leadoff hitter in history. Ricky Henderson set the bar very very high. Howerever, the season that Jose Reyes is putting up has to qualify as one of the best in history, and certainly one of the best ever at the SS position.

So, at least when it comes to Jose Reyes, its time to turn off the computer and watch some amazing baseball. You don't know what you have been missing while playing with Excel.


Date

Fri 09/08/06, 6:33 am EST


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RoblefkoLegend
1178 days ago
Score 0+-
Yes.
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RoblefkoLegend
1178 days ago
Score 0+-
i didnt read the article. only the title. so hopefully my comment makes sense
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Bleeding GreenVarsity
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
No
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Anonymous Fanatic #1
1178 days ago
Score 0+-
you sure like to gloat when your right...i hope someone is as big of a prick to you when your wrong
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
1178 days ago
Score 0+-
Its not a matter of gloating. I have a larger point that when you only view baseball through an excel spreadsheet you misrepresent the things that are actually going on in front of your eyes.
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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer
1178 days ago
Score 2+-
The true test as to how good Jose Reyes actually is, will be if he's great enough to start referring to himself in the third person, ala Ricky. That and if he plays until he's 75 just to break every record so he can refer to himself in the third person as a record holder.
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
1178 days ago
Score 1+-
But the John Olerud story is still the best.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Ricky often used second person as well. I know Manny Stiles remembers what he remembers...
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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Maybe that's what I meant...
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DNLLegend
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
The John Olerud story is fake, though.
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RoblefkoLegend
1178 days ago
Score 1+-
Excel 07 is coming out soon, maybe that will show that Reyes is the best.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score -2+-
F Microsoft. Baseball is played on grass, not calculators!!! (except in my 'Random Number' Baseball League)
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Manny, I didn't think the day would come, but you and I completely agree.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Aww, MJD... when I'm not preoccupied with antagonizing you, we'd get along great! (I know few of you would believe this, I have no enemies in the non-cyber world) If only the Jets went back to the green helmets (long live Johnny "Lam" Jones, hee hee), the Devils traded for Miroslav Satan and the Mets, well... it's just so easy to root against the Mets (maybe if they lost the black from the unis - it looks STOOPID). But I like some of their players and root for them over the Yankees every time!
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FriskysmanVarsity Captain
1177 days ago
Score 7+-
Hard to say Reyes is the best leadoff hitter of all-time when fellow leadoff hitter Grady Sizemore beats Reyes in every meaningful statistic category except for stolen bases. Of course, Grady doesn't play in New York.
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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 1+-
The funny thing is that most Tribe fans don't even want Sizemore leading off but he has the best leadoff numbers.
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FriskysmanVarsity Captain
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
I think the reasoning is, he is so good and you want your best hitter in the three spot. Personally, I like him hitting leadoff and Hafner hitting third. Find a good OBP guy to put between them and we're all set.
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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Personally, I would like Sizemore at third with Hafner cleaning up. But considering they have no other options for leadoff now, it is the way it has to be.
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FriskysmanVarsity Captain
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
I would like them back-to-back if they weren't both lefties. That's why I say keep them separated and find a RHed OBP guy with a little speed to hit second.
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Twins15Varsity Captain
1177 days ago
Score 2+-
Sizemore is one of the true underrated guys in the MLB... he's a legit MVP candidate in my eyes, though of course I haven't heard anyone in the media (other than maybe Rob Neyer) say that.
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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Good point, Frisky. I didn't think about the lefty/lefty thing
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Jgov05All-American
1177 days ago
Score 2+-
Twins: if you can consider anyone from the Indians as an MVP candidate, it has to be Hafner. 42 homers, 100 runs, 117 RBIs, 1.1 OPS.
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Twins15Varsity Captain
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Oh absolutely on Hafner... he'd be my AL MVP, because he's just been unbelievable... but I think Sizemore is in the top 5 or 10.
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DNLLegend
1177 days ago
Score 5+-
If you had Youkilis and Reyes on the same team, it's hard to see the advantage of putting Reyes before Youk. Youk walks a ton, which would negate Reyes' ability to steal bases -- why risk stealing second when there's a good chance you'll be given it for free? On the other hand, Reyes gets on base mostly via a hit, and if Youk can go first-to-third on a single to right, Reyes can take second. If Youk can't make it to third? No big deal. With Beltran hitting third (or Ortiz, I guess), I'd rather have Youkilis on second and Reyes on first. Either can score from 2B on a base hit or better, but only Reyes will score from 1B on a double.
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Bball3345Draft Pick
1177 days ago
Score 2+-
But did you use a spreadsheet to think that through? ;)
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
The man IS a living spreadsheet!
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Honestly Dan, that might be one of the stupidest arguments ever made. There is simply no way that you would bat Youkilis in front of Reyes. You completely negate his speed. First of all, it is highly questionable whether Youkilis would be in the lineup enough if he were on the Mets. Secondly, as a hitter he'd be better suited to hit in the 2 slot or the 7 slot. Finally, last time I checked, the Kevin youkilis hitting leadoff Red Sox weren't even close to making the playoffs.
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Bball3345Draft Pick
1177 days ago
Score 2+-
So the Red Sox dissapointing pitching and the Yankees as their competition should be blamed on Youkilis?
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
No he makes a good point, Reyes isn't going to lap Youkilis on the basepaths, but he might be scoring right behind him on a double!
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JuTMSY4Legend
514 days ago
Score 0+-
wow, this in incredibly ironic now..
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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Reyes could well be the best SS Leadoff Hitter ever. There are probably some other Leadoff hitters ahead of him (named above).
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
If he knocks Maury Wills from the conversation, then we ALL win...
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Anonymous Fanatic #2
711 days ago
Score 0+-
What about Luke Appling? He won 2 batting titles, and set defenisve records that held until Aparicio played.
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Anonymous Fanatic #3
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
i love the mets and jose reyes. but this is absurd. this is reyes first year. ever hear of ricky henderson?
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Wow. A) This is not Reyes' first year. B) Ther article concludes that he has a long way to go until he reaches Rickey Henderson. Trust me, it really helps to READ the article before commenting. Even if you are doing it as an AF.
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ASwaffAll-American
1177 days ago
Score -1+-
Absolutely, he's the best leadoff hitter ever. Algorithms for a couple of successful seasons proves that he is already a better player than Ty Cobb, Ricky Henderson and Honus Wagner. No doubt about it.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
1177 days ago
Score -2+-
better than Cobb and Henderson, 2 guys who played over 20 years each and are either #1, #2 or #3 in almost every important leadoff statistic all-time... sarcasm, sweet sarcasm, ASwaff!... You missed the point of the article. Baseball is played on grass with a baseball, not a calculator.
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Twins15Varsity Captain
1177 days ago
Score 1+-
Rickey Henderson career OBP - .401. Jose Reyes OBP - .353. Reyes has been immensely valuable, no doubt, but he's got a long way to go. The thing that is surprising me about Reyes, though, is the power. A .499 SLG from a SS leadoff batter is nothing to sneeze about... I must admit after reading the article title I came in to this to say how horribly wrong this was, but Reyes has been better than I thought.
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Jgov05All-American
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
His OBP this year is much higher than his career average and should only increase as he gets better.
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ASwaffAll-American
1176 days ago
Score 0+-
lol...of course it would increase as he got better. Stats get better as a player improves. That the way stats work. But why the assumption that he WILL get better? Why the assumption that he will maintain THIS YEAR'S OBP for the next 12 years? You're comparing one season against CAREERS of some of the All-Time greats. If you did that, people like Richard Hidalgo, Javy Lopez and BJ Surhoff would be hands-down Hall of Famers.
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Jgov05All-American
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
I really like Reyes but he's not even the best leadoff man in his own division. Have you guys forgotten than Alfonso Soriano bats leadoff?
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Legit point but I would take Reyes over Soriano every day of the week.
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Twins15Varsity Captain
1176 days ago
Score 0+-
As a hitter? Why would you take Reyes over Soriano, at least based on this year's stats?
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
1176 days ago
Score 0+-
Because their are intanglibles along with statistics. I think Reyes is the spark of the best team in baseball. I think Soriano is a free swinger, playing for himself, who is undisciplined. Reyes is far better in the field, on the basepaths and in the clubhouse. Soriano has more power, but I would take Reyes for every other tool.
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DRE-LOAAA-er
1177 days ago
Score 0+-
Soriano is too powerful to be a true leadoff hitter. If Reyes and Soriano were on the same team, who do you think I would have batting leadoff?
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Anonymous Fanatic #4
1018 days ago
Score 0+-
Jose Reyes is not only a great player, he loves playing baseball and it si fun watching him play. I would like to greet him in person one day. I think i have a crush on him
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