That was awesome. I went to last night’s game with some friends. We braved the rain delay, moved down to some baller-ass seats, and watched the Mets put up 14 runs.

People talk about the beauty of a 1-0 shutout, and I get that. But to me, there’s a whole lot of beauty in a 14-6 barnburner too. Back when I was a kid, the ballplayers were massive and smashed enormous homers with ridiculous frequency, line drives richoteted around ballparks as pitchers cowered in fear. Last night was baseball as it oughta be. A real throwback.

I kid, sort of. It was fun is all. For cryin’ out loud, Rod Barajas reached base three times by the third inning. That’s a special, special ballgame.

And right at the center of everything last night was a guy who has been at the center of everything for the Mets all season. Angel Pagan had four hits including a double and a triple. He scored three runs and drove in four.

Pagan has been the Mets’ best regular outfielder this year, and it’s not even close. He has the highest OPS of the three, plays the best defense, and gains the most runs on the basepaths. He is second on the team in WAR and tied for sixth in the National League, according to baseball-reference.com. Pagan might not make the All-Star Team, but he absolutely deserves to.

Look: Maybe it won’t matter, since at this point it’s hard to assume Carlos Beltran will really return by the end of his 20-day rehab window. But if he does, there’s no way Pagan should be the man who loses the most playing time.

Pagan’s been performing like this for over a full year now. For some silly reason, a couple of mental lapses in the field and on the basepaths overshadowed an excellent season in 2009.

And still, people cling to outdated labels. Angel Pagan is a fourth outfielder, a great role player, a perfect sub. Jeff Francoeur is an everyday player.

Francoeur hasn’t been terrible this year, but he should be the odd man out if and when Beltran returns. Certainly against right-handed pitching. He torches lefties and Pagan does not, though Pagan’s exceptional range in the outfield makes up for at least some of the difference.

Beltran has been more or less equally awesome against lefties and righties in his career, but I strongly doubt he will come anywhere close to matching Pagan’s ability in center field at this point. Beltran is reportedly still running with a limp.

Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya insist Beltran will play center field. He probably shouldn’t.

Seems like Beltran should play right, both to save his legs and to get the most value out of Pagan’s range. Francoeur can spell Beltran when he needs days off — which he inevitably will — but should never start against right-handed pitching.

Pagan should be in the lineup and on the field as often as — or more than — anyone else in the outfield mix.