There are six players eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame who have the Mets on some portion of their resume. One spent three-and-a-half seasons in New York as one of the most likable players in the majors.
If there was a “nice guy” Hall of Fame, he’d be a first-ballot inductee. Beyond his playing ability, Curtis Granderson was the epitome of professionalism. Hard work, hustle, class and his smile earned him tremendous respect league-wide over his 16-year career.
Granderson arrived in Queens following four seasons in the Bronx with the Yankees. At his introductory press conference, he stated, “real New Yorkers are Mets fans”. This, among other things, made him easy to root for. He totaled a 10.9 bWAR during his time with the Mets and was a significant factor during their run to the 2015 World Series when he slashed .259/.364/.457 with 26 home runs. He hit 30 more homers the following year, one of four times in which he equaled or exceeded that number.
The Case For
Granderson made seven stops—from Detroit to New York and elsewhere—between 2004 and 2019 in a career that included 344 home runs, 937 RBIs and 153 stolen bases. He was a true five-tool player with the Tigers. That array of talents was showcased best in 2007, when he accumulated the highest bWAR of his career (7.6), along with the rare 20-double, 20-triple, 20-homer, 20-steal season. Only two other major leaguers at that time had ever achieved such a feat.
If 2007 wasn’t his best season, however, then 2011 was. As a Yankee that year, Granderson hit 41 home runs and established career-highs in slugging percentage (.552), OPS (.916), OPS+ (142), runs (136) and RBIs (119). He led the majors in runs scored and the American League in runs batted in. He also stole 25 bases, earned his only Silver Slugger Award and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. The next year, he hit 42 homers and earned his second-straight All-Star selection (third overall).
Although Granderson never won a Gold Glove, he was a solid outfielder who finished with 32 Defensive Runs Saved. Additionally, by the definition of the character clause, he has that in abundance: his philanthropic efforts helped earn him the 2016 Roberto Clemente Award.
The Case Against
It was only in that 2007 season when Granderson had a WAR higher than 7.0. His career 47.2 WAR is below fellow 2025 candidates Jimmy Rollins, David Wright, Torii Hunter and Dustin Pedroia.
According to JAWS, a metric which is calculated by averaging a player’s career WAR with the total WAR from his seven-year peak, Granderson ranks No. 33 among center fielders. It’s better than a handful of Hall of Fame players but behind non-Hall members Devon White, Brett Butler and Bernie Williams.
By the standards of the similarity scores on Baseball Reference, Granderson’s number is closest to quality players who are admittedly not getting in: Justin Upton, Bobby Bonds, Ron Gant and José Bautista.
The 2011 season was the only one in which he finished in the top five of MVP voting. He was No. 10 in 2007 and No. 18 in 2015, and three All-Star appearances is particularly low for someone vying for the Hall of Fame.
There was nothing in particular that stood out when it comes to his postseason resume either. Over 16 series, which included 15 games as a Met, he had a .741 OPS with nine homers, nine steals and 30 RBIs.
Final Thoughts
With all due respect, this is an open and shut case. Grandy is not a Hall of Famer, and the better question is whether he’d receive the necessary five percent of votes to simply remain on the writer’s ballot. He had a few years that can be considered elite, but in order to get to Cooperstown, you need more than a few. Overall, Granderson was a very good player with an exceptional reputation.
