How Important Is Damion Easley?

I was sitting in my living room watching the Mets get crushed by the Cubs, and wondering if our post season dream will become a long winter's nightmare.

Since late last year, I have felt that the Mets don't win with Luis Castillo as their 2B. I figured, well, why not look at what the Mets have done with Castillo, or any other 2B since Easley was injured in the first game on September 13th.

Here is what I found:

The Mets have played nine games.

In the nine games, the Mets record is 4-5

With Luis Castillo starting, the Mets record is 2-4

With Argenis Reyes starting at 2B, the Mets record is 2-1

More distressingly, Castillo has played in 83 games this year, and the Mets record in those 83 games is 39-44

In games Castillo has started, the Mets are 36-40.

With Argenis Reyes, the Mets record is 29-17. In games AReyes has started, the Mets record is an impressive 13-6.

With Damion Easley, the Mets record is 58-51, but more interestingly, they are 42-28 in games Easley has started.

So, the breakdown goes like this:

With Easley starting, the Mets are 42-28

With Reyes starting, the Mets are 13-6

With Castillo starting, the Mets are 36-40

With Castillo starting: 36-40

With Reyes or Easley starting: 55-34

Since Easley is most likely done for the season, except for pinch hitting duties, shouldn't Argenis Reyes be the starting 2B? He doesn't hit much, but does Castillo? He is a better defensive 2B than Castillo at this point, and he, Reyes, has much better speed on the bases.

Jerry Manuel said the players, especially Castillo, would have to earn playing time. To me, this proves Castillo hasn't earned that right.

P.S. Castillo just called out on strikes to end the game. Three pitches right down the middle by Kerry Wood, and Castillo didn't even attempt to swing.

** Stats obtained from Baseball Reference

*** Damion Easley started games in LF as well as 2B for the Mets this season.