Mike Puma, in a report in today’s New York Post, takes a look at 20 year old shortstop Ruben Tejada, who is likely to break camp with the Mets now that Jose Reyes will likely be opening the season on the disabled list.
According to Puma, the Mets feel Tejada is ready for the Majors at least defensively, but question whether or not he is ready to hit at the Major League level.
According to Minor League infield coordinator Kevin Morgan, Tejada is ‘an intelligent kid who understands the game and picks up situations’, and General Manager Omar Minaya says Tejada has passed every test put on him since arriving three years ago, saying:
“Everywhere he’s gone he’s done well…You’re talking about a kid that was 19 years old at Double-A last year and was one of the better prospects in the [Eastern League].”
In 2008, Tejada hit just .229 with two home runs and 27 RBI for Single-A St. Lucie, however his numbers rose in Double-A Binghamton last year, hitting ,289 with five home runs and 46 RBI, and also saw his strikeout total shrink from 77 to 59 over that span.
About his defense, Puma says Tejada has good hands and a strong arm, and over the past two seasons, his error total has gone from 31 in 131 games in 2008 to 21 in 134 games in 2009.
…i’d think, if Tejada were to be named the Opening Day shortstop, he is likely to be more of a bottom of the order type of hitter, at least until he proves he can be a catalyst…i like the fact his strikeout totals went down, as it makes him more of a contact hitter and someone who can put the ball in the play, and use speed as a weopon…of course, the majors is a whole other story from Double-A, so i’m sure a big adjustment is in store for Tejada…i don’t think his defense will be an issue, maybe outside of some early jitters he may have, but i feel they should go with the best defensive options they have, because while i think they can survive temporarily without Reyes and Beltran in the lineup, i don’t think they could survive without top notch defense in their absence…i just hope Tejada can hit enough early on, before the book comes out about him, to create a bridge for Jose Reyes’ return…
For more on Tejada, check out Puma’s report for the New York Post here.
source: MetsBlog.com
