Top 50 New York Mets
There was a time when New York City had three teams, the Giants, the Dodgers and the Yankees but they were left with one when California baseball claimed the first two. The Big Apple is certainly large enough to handle a second team and the Mets came to fruition in 1962.The Mets were dreadful through the 60’s but the “Miracle Mets” shocked the world and won the World Series in 1969. They would return in 1973, though in a losing effort and another long period where they were not competitive, but by the late 80’s they enjoyed a resurgence and would win their second World Series in 1986.
This would be the last World Series that New York would win but they did win the NL Pennant in 2000 and 2015.
Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics and post-season accolades. This is a list up to the end of the 2022 Season.
Cleon Jones caught the last out for the Mets in their shocking World Series win in 1969, but he is known for so much more than that in the ’69 campaign.
How can you not love a guy named Mookie?You have to love him and he even if Mookie Wilson was actually named “Sour Bastard”, you would still love the guy because he had one of the most positive and infectious attitudes in Baseball and is easily one of the most popular players in Mets history.
While Jerry Grote was never going dazzle anyone with his offense, he was highly regarded for his ability to handle a pitching staff and was a vital component to the “Miracle Mets” World Series Championship Team in 1969. Grote was a good defensive player and clubhouse leader and still was a two-time All-Star who managed to collect 994 Hits for New York.The Mets inducted Grote into their Hall of Fame in 1992.
There is nobody who can question that Gary Carter was at his best when he was a Montreal Expo, but “The Kid” was still a solid player when he signed as the Mets Catcher. Carter went to four All-Star Games as a Met (though realistically he shouldn’t have made the last two) but finished 6th and 3rd respectively in MVP voting for his first two seasons as a Met. Carter would help the Mets win the 1986 World Series Championship and will always be remembered in the Big Apple.The Mets honored Carter with a franchise Hall of Fame induction in…
The baseball career of Pete Alonso has been short, but it has been potent. Alonso won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2019, while leading the NL in Home Runs (53) and Extra Base Hits (85) while going to the All-Star Game and earning All-MLB 1 honors. It was a great start, but it also exposed that the First Baseman was prone to striking out often, was slow, and was not a great defensive player, yet his power made Pitchers shiver. Since that time, Alonso finished third in Home Runs in 2020 and 2021, and was second Last year…
A very popular Starting Pitcher during his time with the New York Mets, Ron Darling would post a very impressive Won/Loss record with the New York Mets where he went 99 and 70. The native Hawaiian finished 5th in Cy Young Voting in 1986 and went to his lone All Star Game the year before. He would help New York win the 1986 World Series, and was chosen for the Mets Hall of Fame in 2020.
From replacement player to two time Major League All-Star, Rick Reed had a very good run with the New York Mets, though it is astounding how much he is not regarded much at all in the Mets canon of history.
Jeff McNeil is still with the New York Mets as of this writing, where his orthodox style (he competes with a knobless bat) is considered a throwback of sorts, as he is a contact hitter who rarely strikes out. McNeil has played multiple positions for the Mets (mostly between Second and Leftfield) after debuting in the Majors in 2018, and only needed one season to become an All-Star off a 23 Home Run/.318 Season. McNeil batted .311 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, and after battling injuries in 2021, exploded in 2022, with his second All-Star season and his first Batting…
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R.A. Dickey arrived to the New York Mets in his mid-30’s and for the first time in his career would become a permanent starter. It was the correct decision as Dickey proved to be a decent Starting Pitcher but his third season with New York was magical and is considered one of the best seasons ever by a knuckleballer. Dickey won the Cy Young going 20 and 6 and led the National League in Strikeouts. That season was so good that it propelled him to a higher spot than you would initially have someone who was only with the Mets…
Equally beloved by Mets fans and Phillies fans alike, Tug McGraw was part of the 1969 Mets team that won the World Series but it was after that where he became known as one of the top Relief Pitchers in the National League. Assuming a leadership role in the clubhouse, McGraw would have a pair of 25 plus Save seasons, which was huge in those days, and would receive a few MVP votes in each of those campaigns. McGraw was named an All-Star in 1972, and 21 years later, he entered the Mets Hall of Fame.
When you think of the MLB accomplishments of the Venezuelan Pitcher, Johan Santana, you think of the Minnesota Twins. That train of thought isn’t wrong, but it can’t be forgotten just how much he still did with the New York Mets before his arm broke down.
While Tom Glavine will always be best remembered for his tenure as an Atlanta Brave, the Hall of Famer still had plenty left in the tank when he arrived in New York. Going to two All-Star Games as a Met, Glavine would win 61 Games and was a solid presence in the rotation and remained one of the better hitting Pitchers in baseball.
Jesse Orosco had a 24 year career on MLB, the most notable of which was spent with the New York Mets. Orosco was the closer for the 1986 World Series Championship Team. A two time All Star in New York, Orosco recorded 107 Saves as a Met and would have five scoreless innings in the ’86 World Series. It was Orosco who was on the mound during both final pitches in both the NLCS and the World Series in ‘86.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Kansas City Royals, Bret Saberhagen still was a good Pitcher when he was traded to the Mets. In the strike-shortened season of 1994, Saberhagen would finish third in Cy Young voting and led the NL in BB/9 and SO/BB with numbers that were far better than his Cy Young-winning seasons in KC. As a Met, Saberhagen posted a record of 29-21 with a 3.16 ERA.
John Olerud was only with the New York Mets for three seasons, but the already two time World Series Champion subtly racked up a lot of hits, including a 1998 season where he batted .354 and finished 12th in MVP voting. Overall, Olerud had an excellent Slash Line as a Met of .315/.425/.501, which is an incredible number that propelled him to this rank.
As of this writing, Brandon Nimmo is set to enter his eighth NFL Season, all of which have been as a Met. The Outfielder may not feel like a superstar, but he has been very productive, and was a highly-touted First Round Pick in 2011. Nimmo debuted for the Mets in 2016, but was not a regular until 2018. He only had 114 Hits, but had an OBP of .404 that year, and the led the NL in Hit by Pitch (22), showcasing his ability to get to First. Nimmo had numerous ailments from 2019 to 2021, but when healthy…
With the flowing blonde hair and tall frame, Noah Syndergaard, has the nickname of "Thor". Many days, he pitched just like it.
A New York Met for all but two games of his professional career, Craig Swan may have had a losing record over his career, but he was a good player overall who was certainly capable of flashes of brilliance. Swan’s best year was 1978 when he surprisingly won the ERA title. Of note, he also was the National League leader in ERA+.
Lenny “Nails” Dykstra would have more success in Philadelphia (and would become infamously known for other things later) but it was in New York where he first cut his teeth as a star in Baseball. Dykstra was a fan favorite showcasing his grit and was a big part of the Mets 1986 World Series Championship team, where he was considered the team’s “spark plug”.