In the Mets 52 year history, there have been 22 different players that would be classified as the “everyday” Shortstops. Three of them, Bud Harrelson, Jose Reyes, and Rey Ordonez, account for 23 (44%) of those seasons.
Who are the men who have played the most games at Shortstop in Franchise history? (year they were the primary in parenthesis)
10. Ron Gardenhire (1982) – Ron played 230 games at short (192 starts). In 1982, he hit .240 with 3 HR and 33 RBI.
8. (tie) Jose Vizcaino (1994-95) – Jose played 236 games at short (227 starts). In 1995, he hit .287 with 3 HR and 35 RBI.
8. (tie) Ruben Tejada (2012) – Yes, Ruben is on the list. He has played 236 games at short (227 starts). In 2012, he hit .289 with 1 HR and 25 RBI.
7. Roy McMillan (1964-65) – Roy played 335 games at short (326 starts). In 1965, he hit .242 with 1 HR and 42 RBI.
6. Frank Taveras (1979-81) – Frank played 372 games at short (354 starts). In 1979, he hit .263 with 1 HR and 33 RBI with 42 stolen bases.
5. Rafael Santana (1985-87) – Rafael played 478 games at short (427 starts). In 1985, he hit .257 with 1 HR and 29 RBI.
4. Kevin Elster (1988-91) – Kevin played 524 games at short (461 starts). In 1989, he hit .231 with 10 HR and 55 RBI.
3. Rey Ordonez (1996-99, 2001-02) Rey played 907 games at short (870 starts). In 1999, he hit .258 with 1 HR and 60 RBI. He also won three consecutive Gold Gloves (1997-99).
2. Jose Reyes (2003, 2005-08, 2010-11) – Jose played 999 games at short (992 starts). In 2006, he hit .300 with 19 HR, 81 RBI, a league leading 17 triples and a league leading 64 stolen bases. He was a 4 time All-Star (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011) and won the National League batting title in 2011. Jose was, in my opinion, by best Shortstop in Mets history.
1. Bud Harrelson (1967-74, 1976-77) – Bud played 1,280 games at short (1,213 starts). He was the starting shortstop on the Mets first two World Series teams. In 1969, he hit .248 with 0 HR and 24 RBI. He was a two time All-Star (1970, 1971) and won the Gold Glove in 1971.
