There has been a lot of debate about who should get the first base job for the Mets in 2010.
But most people seem to think it should go to someone other than Daniel Murphy.
They'll tell you he doesn't have the bat to be an every day first baseman.
This couldn't be further from the truth.
Murph had one bad slump early on in the year. After that, he was one of the most productive hitters on our team. The early slump killed his season averages and made him look like an ordinary hitter.
Murphy struggled mightily in left field. A lot of people said that killed his confidence and he took it to the plate with him, causing the slump. Even if that isn't the case, everyone goes through slumps. From David Wright to Albert Pujols, no one is hitting all the time.
Murphy's average for the second half of the season was .282. He had a .798 OPS to go with seven home runs and 35 RBI.
In August and September, he hit .291. His August OPS was .888. For the season, he had 38 doubles, 21 of them coming in the last two months.
His patience at the plate is very good for a 24-year-old. Even in May, when he hit just .176, his on-base percentage was still .278, very respectable considering the horrible batting average.
His ability to rebound after falling behind in the count was very impressive too. His average was .292 after falling behind in the count 0-1.
Murphy also showed the ability to handle hitting at Citi Field. He hit .294 with seven of his team leading 12 home runs at home.
His defense at first was excellent as well. He posted a .989 fielding percentage at first.
If Murphy can learn to hit lefties a little better (just a .223 average) he definitely could be a .300 hitter. If a potential .300 or even .280 40 double guy doesn't have the bat to play every day, I don't know who does.
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