Honestly, I cannot believe I am even writing this post. James Loney has been nothing short of a godsend since he arrived in Flushing a couple of short months ago. Here’s the evidence:
In 197 at-bats, Loney is hitting .284 with a .336 OBP. He has 6 homers and 21 RBI. To this point, he’s been everything the Mets could’ve asked for and more.
As for Duda, in just 130 at-bats, he’s hit just .231 with a .297 OBP with 7 homers and 19 RBI.
The Mets will have an interesting conundrum on their hands, much like they do in the outfield. While Duda’s power is undeniable (57 homers in 2014-15) Loney has been a stabilizing fixture in the infield. Loney is the far-superior defender, and He strikes out way less. You know what you’re going to get with him, and he was certainly a damn good find for the Mets.
One option is Duda off the bench, and he would be a significant power threat to come up in the late innings. The outfield experiment is definitely over with Duda, and Loney is not moving positions either. We have enough corner outfielders as it is.
So I ask you, the fans, who’s the first baseman when Lucas Duda is ready to return? Tell us in the comments section below.
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