As we all know the bats have been very streaky, mostly on the down side, this whole season. With no consistent production (or defense either, for that matter) coming out of any spot in the lineup, how do we account for the fact that the Mets still find themselves in first place going into the stretch run?

I credit the single most consistent, dominating and focused force on the Mets, Billy Wagner. Just the numbers tell most of the story - 23-1 in save opportunities, 56 K in 45 IP, 1.42 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, .166 BAA. Possibly the best season yet for a man who has been dominant his whole career (the possible exception being 1999 when he was incredible for the Stros).

I was perusing his "Situational Stats" on Yahoo and found something interesting that bore our my impression - virtually all of the damaging hits against Billy Wagner this season so far have been on the first pitch. With the count 0-0 his BAA is .313 and his ERA is 17.18. In all other counts his ERA is 0.00 and BAA very low. Also of note is that he is basically unhittable for the first 15 pitches, slightly weaker for the next 15, and falls apart after that.

So I think his plan has largely been to get ahead of hitters with his fast ball, and occassionally will encounter a first-pitch fastball hitter. As he goes deeper in the pitch count his fastball likely loses a little pop and is easier to hit, but he is still awesome as long as he gets past that first pitch.

But beyond his numbers you gotta like the attitude he brings to the game and to the clubhouse. There is no other moment in a Mets game that instills the crowd with as much confidence as when the first few bars of "Enter Sandman" blast from the speakers. He is quick to stand up for his teammates and is good for a quote or two when reporters are looking for a no-nonsense attitude.

Relievers usually get short shrift when considering who has made the most significant contribution. I vote for Billy. At least until somebody else steps up bigtime!