Angel Pagan is a Star

With all of the uncertainty surrounding the Mets early this year, its been unheralded Angel Pagan that has provided the spark, the hits, the range in centerfield, the intelligent baserunning and the consistency that has kept the team in the hunt as they attempt to chase down a spot in first place.

How good has Pagan been?

Since May 1st, he's hit .315 with a .371 OBP and slugged at a .477 clip.  He has gotten a hit in 26 of the 33 games played over that span.  Since May 1st he has 41 hits, 8 doubles, 9 stolen bases and has scored 21 runs. 

That equates to over 200 hits, 100 runs scored, 44 stolen bases and 40 doubles over a full season.

That, my friends, is a star.

If we combine his 2009 and 2010 seasons you get an idea of how valuable he's been over a full slate of games:

Angel Pagan Batting Stats for Years 2009 to 2010

Year	Tm	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2009-2010	NYM	144	603	547	86	165	31	15	10	57	25	10	45	87	.302	.352	.468	.820	118

The best part of it is that Pagan continues to get better.

His eye at the plate is better, he is hitting to the gaps, playing smart defense, and running the bases with intelligence and hustle to maximize his speed.

He may not be very well known outside of New York, but what we know is that Angel Pagan has morphed into one of the most important players on the Mets, and he has become a complete player.

Here are his 2010 numbers and his projections:

2010 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	56	204	32	60	9	4	4	25	20	31	11	3	.294	.356	.436	.792
Career	323	956	147	271	54	20	19	109	81	165	37	13	.283	.337	.441	.778
Last 7 days	5	21	2	6	2	1	0	2	2	3	2	0	.286	.348	.476	.824
Projected	160	583	91	171	26	11	11	71	57	89	31	9	.294	.356	.436	.792

Related article

• Quote: Angel Pagan is Underrated (metsblog.com)