Ramirez

by JM Van Horn

Created on: February 02, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Over the years, we have seen baseball players improve in all facets of their game and the shortstop position is where it has been most impressive. Until the 1980's shortstops were mainly viewed as a defensive presence and any offense they could provide would be welcomed. Then we had the arrival of players, like Cal Ripken, who showed they could handle the defensive side of the ball while they are able to be a serious offensive threat at the plate. The position grew to prominence when Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez began their careers and became the center focal point of their teams. Entering the 2008 season, we have a pair of young players, Hanley Rameriz, of the Florida Marlins, and Jose Reyes, of the New York Mets, who have begun their careers with a bang and are primed to continue the trend. Each player has shown amazing ability in the field and at the plate that ranks them at the top of their position. Here is a comparison of their talents and how they compare with each other.

Offensive Both Rameriz and Reyes have shown they are an integral part of their respective team's offense. This is most evident when you compare the offense stats of both teams. One important attribute of a leadoff man is their speed and ability to score runs. One way to aid this is when a base runner can steal a base. Both Reyes and Rameriz are the leaders on their respective teams when it comes to this. Over all, the Mets swiped 200 bases as a team, while the Marlins only managed 105 stolen bases during the season. When comparing the two, Rameriz produced almost 50% of the stolen bases for the Marlins while Reyes produced less than 39% of the Mets production, even though Reyes had 30 more stolen bases. One reason behind this is the Mets use this tactic with more of their players while the Marlins focus their base stealing efforts on Rameriz. However the most important statistics when it comes to a leadoff man is the On Base Percentage. Back in 2006, both men were equal in this respect as they each posted a .354 OBA. In 2007, Rameriz took the step forward as he increased his OBA by more than 30 points, where as Reyes was unable to change from his 2006 average. This also coincided with an increase in Ramirez's offensive numbers where as Reyes took a step back. In the end, it is hard to argue that Rameriz does not have the advantage when it comes to his ability at the plate over what Reyes can do. Advantage - Rameriz

Defensive Another interesting comparison of the two teams involved their overall fielding percentages. The Mets were in the middle of the pack with a .983 fielding percentage with 101 errors, while the Marlins finished dead last with a .977 fielding percentage and had a league high 137 errors. This is where Reyes outshines Rameriz in this comparison. Rameriz has a tendency to show boat at times and make the plays appear harder than they are. As a result, he tends to have more errors than Reyes who has shown consistency with his solid defense play since his arrival. Though Rameriz' defense is not on the same level as Reyes, he is not a liability and will be given the chance to improve upon these numbers. Until then, there is no way you can not give the nod to Reyes and the skills he possess with the glove. Advantage - Reyes

Intangibles When comparing these two players, you also need to examine the two teams they play for. Reyes plays for the New York Mets, who finished the 2007 season with an 88-74 record and were just one game back from the division lead, while the Florida Marlins, led by Rameriz, finished with a 71-91 record and tied for the second worst record in the National league. The Mets had a 12 game lead in the East but were unable to hold the Phillies off by the end of the season, while Reyes was only able to bat .205 during September. Meanwhile, Rameriz was part of the 2006 Marlins who made a serious run at the playoffs despite having any big name talent on the field. The Mets have been rebuilt into contenders and Reyes will be ensured to have a potent offense behind him to help drive him in, while the Marlins are constantly trading their talent away, making it harder for Rameriz to capitalize on. Another key to this discussion is how the players fared when it when you look at the All Star voting. Last year, Reyes was voted as the National League Starter, while Ramirez was only able to finish 8th among all National League shortstops. Ramirez was not even able to make the team as a reserve in 2007. Part of the reason this happened was the Mets play in the biggest media market in the United States while the Marlins are a struggling franchise in South Florida where the fans have not flocked to the stadium like many felt they would. If Rameriz played with the Mets, Red Sox, or Yankees, he would surely replace Reyes as the most well-known shortstop in baseball behind Derek Jeter. It would be interesting to see if Reyes could put up similar production if he was on the Marlins or another small market team. Rameriz has shown consistency in his years with the Marlins and would be able to make a serious run at the NL MVP if he was on a major market team. Advantage - Rameriz

In the end, the comparison between Rameriz and Reyes leads to one conclusion. Rameriz is ahead of Reyes when it comes to being the best shortstop in baseball. If both players were on evenly matched teams, Rameriz would provide the bigger impact and help with the success of the team. As his defense begins to tighten up and his bat continues to product, Rameriz has the chance to become a first ballot Hall of Fame shortstop when his career is done.

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