TORONTO – Who is leading the Mets in batting average these days? No, it’s not David Wright, it’s 47-year-old Julio Franco.
But although Franco has the Mets’ best average, he has reached the top in far fewer at bats than Wright.
Wright, the star third baseman, plays every day and went into last night with a .338 average in 281 at-bats. Franco comes off the bench and went into last night with a .346 average in 52 at-bats.
But while Wright is having a more impressive season, Franco’s 2006 campaign has been excellent thus far. Last night his bat and team-best average were in the Mets’ starting lineup for only the sixth time this season.
Franco was the Mets’ first designated hitter in 2006, as the team opened a three-game set at Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays.
“Carlos [Delgado] wants to play the field,” Willie Randolph explained. “I was going to give him a day off there, but he wants to play the field. So to make your big boy happy, put him in there and give Julio some at-bats against a guy [Toronto righty Casey Janssen] that I think he might be able to hit.” Franco has been able to hit nearly everybody this season so far. He not only has a terrific batting average, but also four doubles, a homer and 11 RBIs. That’s a strong ratio of one RBI every 4.73 at-bats (only a little behind the Mets’ leader in RBIs going into last night, Wright, who had 60 and was averaging one every 4.68 turns).
Franco’s 11 pinch hits this season were tied with the Phillies’ David Dellucci for the most in the big leagues.
On Thursday against the Reds at Shea, Franco started at first base and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He also stole his fourth base of the year in four tries.
Franco was getting another chance last night, only the first time this season he had started consecutive games.
Franco, in his first season with the Mets, said it’s not tough to get so few at-bats.
“No, because I know when I came here . . . that was the situation,” said Franco. “I know beforehand that Carlos is the first baseman, and I’m here to pinch hit or if he needs a day off or, God forbid, he gets hurt, I’m there.
“But I knew that was going to happen.” The Mets’ next eight games, all in AL East parks (culminating in a three-game set next weekend at Yankee Stadium) will utilize the DH, so Franco has a pretty good opportunity to get more at-bats.
Randolph, though, is not promising the DH spot to any one Met during the next three series, against the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees.
The manager also mentioned yesterday that DH candidates include Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Wright and Cliff Floyd (currently on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle).
“I go day-to-day, man,” Randolph said. “I go with how I feel, go with how the game goes, who’s swinging and who’s pitching, all that kind of stuff.”