Mets’ Second Base Defense Trending In Right Direction

May 27, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jose Peraza (18) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Since 2017, only fours teams have had worse second base defense than the Mets (-23) based on Fangraph’s Defensive Runs Saved: The Nationals, the Twins, the Tigers, and the Athletics.

Simply put, the Mets have struggled up the middle for the last handful of years. Defensive wiz Francisco Lindor has proven to be a staple at shortstop in 2021, but the second base position has already seen several players this season. Six Mets have seen innings at second base so far this season: Jeff McNeil, Jonathan Villar, Jose Peraza, Luis Guillorme, Wilfredo Tovar, and Travis Blankenhorn.

With Jeff McNeil on the shelf, Peraza has mainly been the man at second base for the Mets. He comes into Sunday’s game ranking in the 98th percentile in Outs Above Average. Overall, his OAA of 6 ranks eight among registered fielders in all of baseball.

His likely platoon counterpart, Luis Guillorme, is well known to be one of the best defenders in baseball. His OAA of 3 for his career is his best at any position, considering how he has split his time in the majors between second, third, and shortstop.

The impending platoon of Guillorme and Peraza offers the Mets their best defensive presence at second base in quite some time. Although the numbers aren’t completely there for Guillorme due to a small sample size, Guillorme still comes out as a 70 grade defender via FanGraphs,

Guillorme, a natural second baseman, will likely see his defensive runs saved (DRS) and OAA numbers rise once he settles into his role with Peraza for the time being. He dazzled with two diving stops in Saturday’s win over the Padres, and initiated double plays with his tandem partner Lindor with the greatest of ease. Guillorme, who has missed the past month plus with an oblique injury, made an immediate impact upon returning to the Mets lineup.

The Mets defense up the middle has long been a major question mark, but piece by piece is showing signs of a massive improvement so far in 2021. From Brandon Nimmo’s better positioning in center field, to the Mets’ catchers gunning runners left and right, all the way to the superb tandems the Mets run up the middle for their double-play combination.

Obviously, at some point Jeff McNeil returns, and the Mets defense up the middle returns to the days of “debating” whether or not the Mets saw a rat or a raccoon in the dugout.

Regardless, the Mets’ defense at second base is far better than the years of Daniel Murphy no matter who they run out to pair with Lindor. Once McNeil returns, the defense up the middle will surely continue to pack a punch.

The post Mets’ Second Base Defense Trending In Right Direction first appeared on Metsmerized Online.