Mets vs. The Rest: 3B Edition

Many of you may not know that I have started a "Mets vs. The Rest" series of articles. This series of articles will be an in depth analysis of the National League East division. I will score each team kind of like the MVP voting system..

5 points for first place
4 points for second place
3 points for third place
2 points for fourth place
1 point for last place

Today, we will do 3B... Remember that the 2007 season statistics are listed.. not the projected 2008 statistics.

Starting Third Baseman...

Mets: David Wright .325 AVG 30 HR 107 RBI
Braves: Larry Jones .337 AVG 29 HR 102 RBI
Phillies: Greg Dobbs .272 AVG 10 HR 55 RBI
Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman .266 AVG 24 HR 91 RBI
Marlins: Jorge Cantu .252 AVG 1 HR 13 RBI

I dont know what these rankings would look like if Miguel Cabrera was not traded to Detroit... but he was so I don't have to worry about that. We all know that David Wright is the class of the league, no doubt about it and Fantasy Owners would LOVE to have Wright on their team. David puts up numbers year in and year out thats why he is number one on this list. Not to mention that he won a Gold Glove last year. Larry (Chipper) Jones is a HOF player. If not for his injury risk, he could still be a perennial MVP candidate. Ryan Zimmerman had a little bit of a "sophomore slump" in 2007, but don't think that he'll be an average MLB player, because he will be as good, if not better than our very own David Wright. Greg Dobbs of the Phillies is a very solid bench player, but I'm not too sure how he can perform everyday. From what I can gather, he will be in a platoon with Wes Helms. This is because Dobbs hits significantly better against right handed pitchers and vice versa with Helms. Jorge Cantu can be a solid player, but he needs to prove it, and he will get plenty of chances, but he's just not to flattering right now. The order goes like this... Wright, Jones, Zimmerman, Dobbs, Cantu.

Reserve Third Baseman...

Mets: Ruben Gotay .295 AVG 4 HR 24 RBI
Braves: Omar Infante .271 AVG 2 HR 17 RBI
Phillies: Wes Helms .246 AVG 5 HR 49 RBI
Nationals: Aaron Boone .286 AVG 5 HR 28 RBI
Marlins: Jose Castillo .244 AVG o HR 24 RBI

From first glance it looked like there was very solid depth at the reserve 3B position. I was right, there is... but most of these players hit better against either left handed pitchers or right handed pitchers, so they would have to be platoon players if they ever got the chance to play regularly. Last season, Aaron Boone had somewhat of a comeback year. His AVG shot up, and he walked at a more frequent pace. Look for him to provide the Nationals a spark off of the bench. Ruben Gotay is a versitle player who can play 2B, 3B, SS, and a little 1B. This makes him very valuable to the Mets. The thing is, he just cant hit from the right side of the plate. The same goes for Omar Infante, hes very versitle, and he can hit. Its a tie between him and Gotay. Wes Helms had a good season in 2006, but 2007 was just not his year. He stunk. He will be platooning with Greg Dobbs for the Starting spot, but look for him to have continue success against left handed pitchers. Jose Castillo wanted out of Pittsburgh, and he got it. Hes not in a much better place though, because he wound up in Miami. He will battle for the starting spot with Jorge Cantu. Just as Cantu, Castillo has a lot to prove. The order goes like this... Boone, Gotay, Infante, Helms, Castillo.

The Final Tally is...

Mets: 9
Nationals: 8
Braves: 8
Phillies: 4
Marlins: 2

The Marlins and Phillies are really in need of a 3B. They have super-prospect, Matt Dominguez, but he won't be up for a few more years. The Nationals and Mets are both set at the 3B position for years to come... and you have to wonder how good these guys are gonna become. Larry is getting old, but he can still rake.... Man I really need to watch some baseball...