Keith Hernandez had worn out his welcome with the St. Louis Cardinal’s Manager, Whitey Herzog, and the 1979 National League MVP and 1982 World Series Champion started new with the New York Mets.  Luckily for New York, there was a lot left in his tank when he got there.

When Mike Piazza entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 he easily could have entered as a Los Angeles Dodger, a team where he had similar statistics and was also a multi-time All-Star and threat for the National League MVP Award.

He didn’t.  He entered Cooperstown as a New York Met.

The National League Rookie of the Year in 1972, Jon Matlack would go to three All-Star Games and was named the All-Star Game MVP in one of them.  Matlack did not win the World Series in 1969 but he did help them get there in 1973.  He would have five straight seasons where he would go over 13 Wins and in 1974 he would also lead the National League in FIP.  Jon Matlack would also lead the NL in Shutouts twice.

Matlack overall went 82 and 81 with a 3.03 ERA with the Mets.  The team inducted Matlack to their Hall of Fame in 2021.

From the infielding factory of the Dominican Republic, Jose Reyes debuted for the Mets at age 20 in 2003.  Two years later, he was cemented as the team's starting Shortstop.

Reyes used his speed expertly on the basepaths.  On four different occasions, Reyes would lead the Natinal League in Triples, and he would have at least 50 Stolen Bases in each year from 2005 to 2008.  The first three of those league-leading SB seasons saw Reyes finish first with phenomenal totals of 60, 64 and 78 repectively.  He wasn't known for his power, but he did have a 19 Home Run year in 2006 which would earn him a Silver Slugger.  In 2011, Reyes would win his lone Batting Title.

After that year, he was traded to the Miami Marlins.  He came back in 2016 for three final seasons as a Met.  With the team, he would have 1,534 Hits, batted .282 and had 408 Stolen Bases.