Although the Mets have been struggling the last few games, one person that continues to impress me is Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who has done an excellent job with the injuries with which the Mets have had to deal.
Nieuwenhuis tied his career highs with three runs scored and three hits last night. He has the fourth-highest average (.295) among NL rookies, and ranks first with 59 hits, tied for first with 35 runs scored, tied for second with 20 walks, tied for fourth with 20 RBI and ranks fourth with a .359 on-base percentage.
He certainly isn’t perfect as we’d all like to see him cut his strikeout number down, but Kirk will not be going down to Buffalo any time soon. I think he has forced his way into the line-up, and with the way that Andres Torres is struggling, Nieuwenhuis could very well be the center fielder moving forward.
It’s getting crowded in this outfield with Nieuwenhuis, Lucas Duda, Jason Bay, Andres Torres and Scott Hairston. How would you address this good problem that’s developing for Terry Collins?
This piece was written and submitted by Michael Ganci. For more information on the New York Mets, check out the Daily Stache here. Also, follow the Daily Stache on Twitter by clicking this link.
...DYNASTY!
I'll be here all week.
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As for the Yankees and the comment about the Bronx Bombers being "homer happy", I understand the jealousy. But it is baked-in to the game that hitting a homer is the ultimate happiness for most players. Interesting that last night's Yankees game was looking to be one of the very few the Yanks would win WITHOUT a home run. Michael Kay was talking this up right until Curtis Granderson blasted his twentieth HR into the Nationals bullpen in the top of the ninth. He was happy about this.
It bears the number "34" and the name, "Burnett". AJ Burnett was drafted by the Mets in 1995, but he was then traded to the Marlins, for whom he pitched a complete game no-hitter against the Padres in 2001. A Yankee since 2008, AJ won his last start as a Yankee (Game 4 of the 2011 ALDS, vs Detroit). AJ returned to the National League this year, and is presently with the Pittsburgh Pirates.