We are right smack in the middle of the holidays, so there’s a good chance you’re still around some extended family even though Christmas is officially in the rearview mirror. What better way to pass the time than talk about New York Mets history…am I right?
I mean, there’s not much happening in the game right now thanks to the lockout, so this is the next best thing to have a conversation about. At least, it is in theory.
But seriously, do you know which Mets players have put together the best single-season performances at each position on the diamond? You’re about to. The below tweet uses bWAR (Baseball-Reference’s calculation of WAR) to put together a Mets squad that would’ve absolutely crushed opponents on a nightly basis.
Best Mets bWAR Seasons (Position):
C: Gary Carter 6.5 (1985)
1B: John Olerud – 7.6 (1998)
2B: Edgardo Alfonzo – 6.4 (2000)
SS: Jose Reyes – 5.9 (2006)
3B: David Wright – 8.3 (2007)
OF: Carlos Beltran – 8.2 (2006)
OF: Bernard Gilkey – 8.1 (1996)
OF: Lance Johnson – 7.2 (1996) pic.twitter.com/1z6fYwNOe5— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) December 26, 2021
A few observations here…
Considering the fact that the Mets enjoyed terrific performances from Mike Piazza, it says a lot that Gary Carter‘s inaugural season with the club is still the best in team history. The 1998 season from John Olerud was also the year in which he set the club record with a .354 batting average, which we talked about in more detail last week.
It would’ve been incredibly weird if both Jose Reyes and David Wright weren’t on this list somehow, so it feels good that they are. Well, outside of it being a reminder of what could’ve been with both of those dudes in their respective primes, along with Carlos Beltrán putting up some huge numbers himself.
Edgardo Alfonzo‘s 2000 season was clearly his best when looking at overall offensive production. He was rewarded with his only All-Star Game selection that year, but he actually finished higher in NL MVP voting the year prior (eighth vs. 15th) and won a Silver Slugger Award in 1999, as well.
And finally, in an otherwise dull year where New York went 71-91, how fun was it to watch Bernard Gilkey and Lance Johnson each do their thing? Just awesome.
Now, if you’re wondering about the best starting pitcher and relief pitcher seasons, you weren’t alone because someone asked that same question in the replies. Dwight Gooden‘s Cy Young-winning season of 1985 was the best for starters (12.2 bWAR) and Tug McGraw‘s 1972 performance (4.3 bWAR) was the best out of the ‘pen.
