The Mets all-time Kryptonite starting lineup

Left fielder Jason Bay

Jason Bay…ah…this poor guy. He was on the rise…making a name for himself as a superstar…a productive middle of the lineup stronghold. He spent six-plus seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and averaged around 30 HR and 100 RBI over a five year span, before being sent to the Red Sox in a deadline trade.

In his one full season in Boston in 2009, he had career highs with 36 home runs and 119 RBI. The Mets, craving a big power hitting bat, signed Bay to a huge free agent contract.

The Green Monster at Fenway made it even easier for a guy like Bay. The deep outfield and wacky dimensions at Citifield made it monumentally difficult to duplicate any of his past production. David Wright experienced the same dilemma. But for Bay, it was exponentially worse.

Bay played hard, and may have even been trying to make up for what he wasn’t able to do. He dove for balls in the outfield and ran into the very walls that he couldn’t hit over…he ran himself into injury after injury.

As a result, one of the most productive hitters in baseball for seven consecutive seasons, was a complete and utter bust. In his three seasons in a Mets uniform he only played in 288 games (123 of them in 2011) and hit a total…a TOTAL of 26 homers during that time.

You had to feel embarrassed for the guy. He tried so hard and but also fell so hard.