Throughout the season, I attempted to grade the different Mets players performances for each month of the season. In determining the year end grades, the aggregate of the monthly grades given was considered, but it wasn’t conclusive.  For example, one player’s awful month could be more than offset by having an incredible month.  Also, those decisions were made in the heat of the moment.  There has been a cooling off period in giving these finals grades, and with that, there is time for reflection.  It should also be noted the Wild Card Game did have some impact on these grades as that game was part of the story of the 2016 Mets.  Overall, the final grades assessed considered the monthly grades, but also took into account that player(s) overall impact on the Mets season (good or bad).    For the second set of grades, here are the Mets middle infielders:

Lucas Duda C-

The one sure thing you could say about Duda was the Mets missed him in 2016.  The drop off at the plate from him to Loney was massive.  Surprisingly, despite Loney’s reputation as being a good defender, there was a similar drop-off in the field.  We know the Mets made the postseason anyway without Duda.  What we don’t know is whether the Mets would have competed in the division or won the Wild Card Game with Duda in the lineup.

What we do know is that when Duda was on the field, he just wasn’t productive.  In the 47 games he did play, he hit .229/.302/.412 with just seven doubles, seven home runs, and 23 RBI.  Early on in the season, many were expecting Duda to have a typical breakout where he carried the Mets offensively for a few weeks.  However, with the stress fracture in his back that breakout was never coming.  He worked his tail off to get back and help the Mets down the stretch and into the postseason, but he just wasn’t ready yet.  Overall, it was just a lost season for Duda.  Hopefully, his back will be better in 2017, and he can help the Mets win the National League East again.

James Loney D

On the one hand, Loney really helped stabilize the first base position when he first came to the Mets.  Before the All Star Break, he was hitting .277/.336/.438 with eight doubles, four homers, and 16 RBI.  It wasn’t your typical first baseman’s production, but it was something you could live with especially when your other option at the time was Eric Campbell.

However, from there his season really fell off the cliff.  After the All Star Break, Loney hit .257/.287/.369 with eight doubles, five homers, and 18 RBI.  This production is even worse when you consider Terry Collins shielded Loney from left-handed pitching for most of the year.  Couple that with Loney’s terrible defense and his almost refusal to stretch at first base, you saw why the Tampa Bay Rays of all teams paid him approximately $9 million to not play for them, and why no team was willing to give him a major league job before the season started.

David Wright B

There were many unknowns about Wright in 2016.  We didn’t know if he could play, and if he could play, we didn’t know if he could produce.  What we discovered was that he could still produce, but, unfortunately, he could not stay on the field.  Wright would actually play in one less regular season game than he would last year before he needed season ending cervical fusion surgery (not spinal stenosis surgery).  In the 37 games he did play, he hit .220/.350/.438 with eight doubles, seven home runs, and 14 RBI.  They were decent numbers for the time he played, but unfortunately, he didn’t play enough.

Jose Reyes B-

The best thing you could say about Reyes was he wasn’t a distraction, nor were there any known repeated acts of domestic violence.  If Reyes has become a better man, and if the domestic violence issues are all in the past, this season was a resounding success for him, and we should all wish him and his family well.  With that noted, the grades are for the performance on the field.

The good with Reyes was despite his inexperience at third base, he actually adapted to the position quite well (even if UZR & DRS disagree).  Furthermore, Reyes was a beast from the right-hand side of the plate.  As a right-handed batter, Reyes hit .380/.456/.740 with six doubles, four homers, and 10 RBI.  There was also a two week stretch in August (15th – 30th) where Reyes helped carry the Mets offensively hitting .385/.429/.538 with five doubles, one triple, one home run, and five RBI.

Unfortunately, that August stretch was about all Reyes did for the Mets from an offensive standpoint.  Taking out that hot two week stretch, Reyes was a .226/.292/.411 hitter.  Most of the reason for that was Reyes could not hit right-handed pitching.  In fact, he hit .239/.293/.371 against right-handed pitching.  Additionally, Reyes faded down the stretch hitting .234/.315/.396 over the final month of the season.

While you could say Reyes did an overall good job for the Mets, and he was a good presence in the clubhouse, you cannot come out of the 2016 season with any other impression than Reyes has regressed to the point where he is either a platoon option or a bench player.

Editor’s Note: the grades for April, May, June, July, August, and September/October can be found by clicking the links.