Jose Reyes Continues March Toward National League MVP

New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is making a very strong case for the National League MVP Award this year. Not only is he having one of the best seasons that a leadoff hitter has had in quite some time, he is doing it in a contract year. As his last deal comes to a close with the Mets, Reyes is using the season to showcase just about everything that he can do on the baseball field.

Through Friday, Reyes had posted a .352 batting average. That is 22 points ahead of the closest guy (Matt Kemp at .330), and to put it in perspective, he is one of only 12 National League hitters with a batting average better than .300. Not only is he leaving everyone else behind in the race for the batting title, he is posting an abnormally high number of extra base hits to go along with it.

Reyes has 40 extra base hits in 2011 already, including 22 doubles, 15 triples, and three home runs. Citi Field has been quite nice to the energetic shortstop, and it helps that he is hitting the ball to all corners of the stadium. His 123 total hits leads the National League by 16 over Starlin Casto, and he has a league-leading 65 runs scored as well. That doesn't even mention the damage he is causing on the base paths, where he has 30 stolen bases through the first half of the season. To call his statistics amazing would be under-selling what he has accomplished already.

The New York Mets may still be having struggles as a franchise, but it arguable that no player in baseball is more valuable to their team than Reyes is right now. He is a danger to lead off the game with a triple or a bunt single, seems to make it into scoring position every time he is at the plate, and has been having a pretty good season on defense as well. While a lot of attention may go to the home run hitters when it comes to MVP discussions, it's time to put Reyes at the top of the list this year.

As the season progresses, it is likely that the Mets are going to fall further out of contention in the National League East. They are a .500 ball club with Reyes starting at shortstop, but that still puts them seven games behind the Atlanta Braves in second place and 11 games behind the division leading Philadelphia Phillies. The decision will have to come soon as to whether they risk losing Reyes to free agency at the end of the year or make a blockbuster trade to bring back assets immediately before the All-Star break.

It seems at this point that the only way Reyes won't win the National League MVP is if he is traded to an American League team. The Boston Red Sox certainly wouldn't mind bringing him on either.