By The Numbers: Goodbye To Jose Reyes

By Father Gabe Costa
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It was 2003.  Jose Bernabe Reyes came up to the Mets at the age of 20 years old.  He was charismatic, talented and seemed to exude a child-like joy for the game, whether he was at bat, running the bases or playing shortstop.

A year later he was joined by third baseman David Wright, and the left side of the Mets infield seemed set for at least a ten years.

As the decade would unfold, some rooters of the Mets would say, "Let the Yankees have Jeter and A-Rod…we have Reyes and Wright…they are young!…we will have these two faces of our franchise for years to come!" To further the optimism, as the decade came to a close, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci even picked the Mets to win the 2009 World Series.

But it was not to be.

And now, Jose Reyes has left the Mets. A few days ago he signed a six year deal with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins.

For his nine years on the Mets, the switch-hitting Reyes was named to the All Star team four times. He became the first Met to win a league batting title, hitting .337 during this past season, his last year with the Mets.

These are his career numbers with the Amazin's:

In many senses, though, his career has been star-crossed and controversial. Some interesting questions about Reyes:

• While he has shown flashes of power, it would seem that he has sacrificed points off his batting average by going after the long ball. He has never hit 20 home runs in a season. His recent batting title notwithstanding, would Reyes hit for a much higher average by cutting down his swing just a bit?
• While he has a Range Factor/Game of well over 4.00 for his career, he also has had his share of errors. Will he become a "steadier" fielder as he approaches his thirties?
• He has also had a number of injuries and has been stricken by illnesses over the past few years. Does this indicate a lack future durability?
• Reyes was a "Matinee Idol" in New York, a city where baseball is king. Will he miss this attention while playing in Florida?
• In the long run, did Reyes make a mistake in leaving the Mets? And did the Mets drop the ball in letting Reyes get away?

Time will tell... what do you make of Reyes' future in Miami?  Share your thoughts below.

In:
• Alex Rodriguez
• New York Mets
• Miami Marlins