Is Jose Reyes The Best Shortstop in The Big Apple?

Interesting proposition by Joel Sherman at the NY Post today after talking to Mets hitting coach Rick Down: Is Jose Reyes better than Derek Jeter?

"OK, he's the best shortstop in the whole National League, but is he the best shortstop in New York?"
Down laughed and paused for quite a while. He has been the hitting coach for both Reyes and Derek Jeter, and admires both. But it was obvious, to me, from the pause that he was searching for a diplomatic way to give the nod to Reyes. Down went through a lot of verbal gymnastics about now and the future, citing Reyes' age before I said, "OK, just for 2007, who would you take?"

I got the laugh again and then he said, "With neither one are you going to be wrong. They both have the talent and the great mindset that they want to be up at the big moment. But if you took Jose, you are not going to be wrong."

As for now, I'd think you have to go with Jeter in this debate. If you look a BA, SLG and OBS, Jeter has a clear cut advantage on Reyes. And looking at some sabermetric measurements such as EqA and the like, Jeter still comes out ahead in this one. Fielding percentage-wise, they're about dead even.

Now Reyes is much younger than Jeter - nine years to be exact. And there's certainly more upside to his game. He could be just as good or better than Jeter as soon as this year. But, for now, before the 2007 season gets under way, I'd have to say Mr. True Yankee is the more complete player.