Following his first full season in Boston, Jason Bay had arguably the best season of his career — in which he hit 36 homers and 119 RBI’s, both career highs. Boston was ready to look the other way and let Bay hit the free agent market, ultimately signing a long-term deal with the New York Mets. 
Bay had been a very productive player throughout his entire career, including three all-star selections and a Rookie of the year award, but why is it that his best season came at age 30?
Could it be the transition from an uncompetitive team in the Pirates to a contending team in the Red Sox? Possibly. But more likely it was the transition to Fenway Park, a much better hitter’s park.
If you look at Bay’s OPS+ (a stat that adjusts your numbers to your ballpark), 2009 is no longer Bays best season. In fact, there are three seasons regarded by the statistic that were better.
So what does all of this mean? According to fangraphs.com, Bay hit 49.1% of the balls he hit into the air, the sixth highest in the majors. When you hit one high in Fenway, there’s a pretty good chance it will go out.
Which certainly is not the case in Citi Field. The National league pitcher friendly ballpark in New York will hold a lot of those home runs. In fact, the last player you want in Citi Field is a guy who hits the ball in the air as much as Bay does. Instead this type of ball park suits hitters that are able to shoot the gaps and stroke line drives.
As far as Bay's fielding goes, he isn’t the fastest guy and is not getting any younger. In a spacious Citi Field, with no DH to mix and match, Mets fans are sure to see Bay's lack of speed get the best of him and hinder his ability to track down some those fly balls in the gap.
However, the Mets desperately needed a spark after the last handful of disappointing seasons. Any time you sign a player who hit 36 home runs and drove in 119 RBI’s, there is reason for fans to be excited to see how the new slugger will fit in with the Mets lineup. One other thing that must not be overlooked is Bay's presence in the clubhouse. Since the time he stepped into the batters box, Bay has been a player that leads by example; 'Speaks softly and carries a big stick.' Maybe he can adjust to the bigger park. Mets fans sure hope the left field slugger will adapt quicker than David Wright did last season.
jess.coleman@classactsports.com
http://twitter.com/nycoleman
