The Mets needed a clutch hit yesterday and once again Jose Peraza gave it to them. Small stature, little known, Peraza is a key team player.
When we think of the Mets key players, Jose Peraza is not likely to appear in the first top ten names to be listed.
But give me a minute to show you some things about Peraza, who is batting only .213 overall with a .267 OBP, which will likely change your list.
- In games that Peraza comes in as a sub or pinch-hitter for the Mets, he is batting .455 with a .600 OBP, and a 1.509 OPS
- As a pinch-hitter for the Mets, Peraza has been called on 12 times by Luis Rojas, delivering four hits, two walks, a home run that tied yesterday’s game, and three RBI.
- Ready to rock ‘n roll, Peraza has 10 hits in 19 AB when he swings at the first pitch, and that includes two doubles, three home runs, and eight RBI
- With runners in scoring position, he’s batting .292 with an OPS+ of 154, meaning he’s better than 54% of major league hitters this year.
Is that enough, or do we need more?
Mets: Finding A Diamond In The Rough
The earth did not shake when the Mets announced on November 4, 2020 they had signed Jose Peraza as a free agent.
A pedestrian player in the league for seven years, Peraza had bounced between the Braves, Dodgers, and Red Sox, and was traded away twice.
All totaled, Peraza has earned $7.5 million in his career, and according to Baseball-Reference, the Mets are paying him $100,000 for his services this year.
It’s fair to say, Peraza earned all of that 100K with the home run to tie the game yesterday, jettisoning the Mets to another win over the first-place Brewers in the NL Central.
Mets: A Lesson In Team Building
Whether it was Mets Acting GM Zack Scott, who by the way deserves to have that “acting” thing removed, or Sandy Alderson who discovered Peraza in the free-agent trash heap, it showed the Mets understand how to construct a winning team.
The P & V boys, Kevin Pillar, and Jonathan Villar are examples as well of the Mets adding key pieces to complement stars like Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, and Michael Conforto – with each small piece adding to the whole.
The same Mets ingenuity led them to sign Taijuan Walker, who is having an All-Star year and should be named to replace deGrom, instead of the showcase stars in the pool like Trevor Bauer, Charlie Morton, and Jake Odorizzi.
More Small Pieces At The Deadline
With Steve Cohen’s ample fortune at their disposal, it’s tempting for the Mets to make a big splash at the trade deadline in two weeks, and they just might do it.
But the Mets have also shown a different path that can lead to a winning team, and Jose Peraza is only one example of that.
The Mets have options this year, and given the strength of their front office, chances are they will explore them all before making any moves.
So different than last year, isn’t it? Finally, an organization that knows how to put a team together…
Here’s What Readers Are Saying…
Sal Lugo Not like Lindor, strikes out with bases loaded. Bust..
Closing Comments And Final Thoughts
Lots of likes but few comments, I’ll close published comments on this article, as game time at Citi Field is but an hour away.
Rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast, so here we go again with the Mets having to juggle this and that, but what else is new?
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
