NY Mets Lineup: Three best options to hit lead off for the 2021 season

When I was younger, I was taught that the leadoff hitter should be the fastest player on the team. The New York Mets had the perfect guy for that role in Jose Reyes. The thinking behind this was if you get the fast guy on base, he could just steal second or score from first on an extra-base hit.

Having speed as your leadoff hitter is great, but now I value getting on base the most for leadoff hitters. I believe most teams do as well.

For example, the Reds have used Joey Votto at the top of their order. He’s a first baseman with pretty much no speed (zero stolen bases in 2020) but is someone who draws a lot of walks and can be a table-setter for the middle of the order.

Having someone who can get on base at an extremely high clip is very valuable for a team with a lot of firepower like the Mets.

Guys like Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, and Dom Smith can drive in 100+ runs if guys get on base in front of them.

The Mets had Jose Reyes who had blazing speed but wasn’t an elite on-base guy to hit at the top of the order during my childhood. Once Reyes left, Curtis Granderson became the guy at the top of the order. He was someone who drew a ton of walks and found his way on base but didn’t have the speed Reyes had.

Recently, the guys at the top of the order have been Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. Both have flourished in that role and are excellent choices to hit in that spot this upcoming season. Both get on base at extremely high rates and can set the table for the big power bats. The Mets have three guys who I believe would be excellent options to hit at the top of the order this season.