All-Time Top 100 Marlins: #66 Jose Reyes

Throughout the 2016-17 offseason, Fish Stripes is counting down the top 100 Marlins of all-time. For comparison’s sake, we are using the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) metric as a measuring device. The top 100 WAR ratings are being featured. Today’s Marlin, Jose Reyes, earned 2.9 while with the Marlins.

Jose Reyes is a 6’, 195 lb. switch-hitting shortstop from Santiago, Dominican Republic. Born on June 11th, 1983, he signed a contract with the New York Mets through free agency in 1999. He reported to the Kingsport Mets in the rookie-level Appalachian League for the summer-league season in 2000, and hit .250/.359/.318/.677 with eight RBI and 10 stolen bases over 49 games.

The single-A Capital City Bombers welcomed Reyes to the South Atlantic League for their 2001 campaign. In 108 contests, he hit .307/.337/.472/.809 with five home runs, 71 runs, 48 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. He split the following year between the St. Lucie Mets (69 games, .288/.353/.462/.815, six home runs, 48 RBI, 31 stolen bases) and the double-A Binghampton Mets in the Eastern League (65 games, .287/.331/.425/.757, two home runs, 24 RBI, 27 stolen bases).

2003 would be the last time that Reyes would spend any substantial amount of time in the minor leagues. He played 42 games with the Norfolk Tides in the triple-A level International League, hitting .269/.333/.356/.690 with 13 RBI and 26 stolen bases. In 69 games with the Mets, he was good enough to finish eighth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. He hit .307/.334/.434/.769 with five round-trippers, 32 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.

Reyes totaled nine seasons with the Mets, making four all star teams, the 2006 Silver Slugger award for NL shortstops, and enough MVP votes to finish in the top 30 for the NL MVP on five occasions. In 1110 games for New York, he hit .291/.340/.441/.781 with 89 home runs, 447 RBI, and 379 stolen bases. On December 7th, 2011, he signed on with the Marlins for six years and $106 million.

Reyes was far and away the most consistent player for the Marlins offense in 2012, and he led the team by a wide margin with an NL third 160 appearances (second place Giancarlo Stanton appeared in 123), one of only four Miami players with over 100 appearances. Reyes hit .287/.347/.433/.780 with 37 doubles, an NL second 12 triples, 11 round-trippers, 57 RBI, and an NL third 40 stolen bases, leading the NL with 716 plate appearances. He also ranked second in the senior circuit with just one strikeout per 11.5 at bats, totaling 56 whiffs against 63 bases-on-balls.

Reyes had 50 multihit games for the Fish, including 14 with three or more. He started in every one of his 160 appearances through the season at shortstop. On July 3rd, he hit an RBI-single in the seventh, doubled and scored in the eighth, and added a lead-taking solo home run in in the 10th inning of an eventual 13-12 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

From July 13th through August 8th, he hit in 26 straight games, hitting .365 with five home runs and eight stolen bases. On August 4th he doubled and scored in the second, singled and scored in the fifth, walked and scored in the seventh, then singled and scored in the ninth of a 10-7 loss to the Washington Nationals. On August 20th, he went four-for-five with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI as the Marlins defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 12-3 (see above). On September 7th, he went three-for-six with two triples, two runs scored, and three RBI in a 9-7, 10-inning victory against the Nationals (see below). In a 4-3 win against the Atlanta Braves on September 18th, he led off the fourth with a double, the ninth with a single, and then hit an two-out walkoff RBI-single in the 10th inning for the win (see a little further below).

Six weeks after the end of the season, the Marlins traded him with Emilio Bonifacio, John Buck, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and cash to the Toronto Blue Jays for Henderson Alvarez, Anthony DeSclafani, Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jake Marisnick, Jeff Mathis and Justin Nicolino.

After two-and-a-half seasons with the Blue Jays (305 games, .289/.334/.404/.738, 70 doubles, 23 homers, 122 RBI, 61 stolen bases), Reyes joined the Colorado Rockies (47 games, .259/.291/.368/.659, 19 RBI) midway through the 2015 season via trade. During the offseason following, Reyes was charged with domestic violence while on vacation with his wife in Hawaii, and was eventually put on administrative leave through May 31st.

After the Rockies released him halfway through the 2016 campaign, the Mets picked him off the wire. He finished out the season with New York, hitting .267/.326/.443/.769 with 24 RBI and nine stolen bases in 60 games. The Mets recently exercised their option for the 2017 season, and will pay him the minimum salary.