Theodore Roosevelt’s most famous quote is, “Speak softly and carry a bit stick; you will go far.” Lucas Duda must have that tattooed on himself because it perfectly sums up his time with the New York Mets.

Sure, his big-league has spiraled from a production standpoint since New York traded him in 2017. And based off the impact COVID is having on the game, it could be hard for the 34-year-old to find work moving forward. He was a consistent contributor in Queens, though, and my wheels started turning about his Mets tenure after getting reminded how much of an asset he was during the team’s run to the World Series in 2015.

When taking another look at the work he accomplished in the orange and blue, the soft-spoken first baseman did find a way to make his mark within the franchise.

In a Club By Himself…For Now

Although Duda had appeared in at least 100 games in 2011, 2012, and 2013, he didn’t stick at first base and play every day until the 2014 season. The big man made it count, too. Through 596 plate appearances (153 games played), he slugged 30 home runs with 92 RBI and posted a 135 wRC+ off the strength of a .253/.349/.481 line.

This all sussed out to a then-career-high 3.1 fWAR, which far surpassed the cumulative total of 0.3 he posted in the four years prior.

As part of the National League championship squad in 2015, he did more of the same at the plate. He accumulated just 554 plate appearances via 135 games played and still managed to slug 27 homers with 73 RBI. He slashed .244/.352/.486 on his way to a nearly identical wRC+ (132) and fWAR (3.2).

This two-season stretch of production is significant because it had been a while since we’d seen it last. Duda’s back-to-back campaigns of 25-plus dingers is currently the only time a Mets first baseman had done that since the turn of the century. The only other player who was close to also accomplishing this is Carlos Delgado (38 in ‘06, 24 in ‘07, and 38 in ‘08).

It’s also worth noting that only Pete Alonso — who will hopefully join this club in short order — posted a higher wRC+ (143) than either of Duda’s seasons in question when looking at qualified Mets one-baggers.

The Overall Production Stands Up, Too

If we stick with the theme of Duda’s 2014–15 performance, his overall offensive production ranks highly among the Mets’ best offensive seasons since 2000.

The wRC+ numbers he produced currently has him ranked 14th and 15th among this sample size, situated between Mike Piazza in 2002 (136 wRC+) and Curtis Granderson in 2015 (131), along with one of his seasons being tied with David Wright in 2006 (132). This isn’t bad company to hold within recent franchise history, that’s for sure.

The 34-year-old’s overall offensive production was at the same level in limited playing time in 2011 (136 wRC+) and prior to getting traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in ‘17. In the latter example, Duda had already collected 17 homers with 37 RBI in 291 plate appearances, which helped him produce a 130 wRC+ with New York.

I don’t know about you, but if I had one of those Sporcle quizzes asking me to fill out the top 20 offensive seasons by a Mets hitter since 2000, Duda likely wouldn’t come up twice on my radar. Definitely once, but twice would be a stretch. Let alone it being consecutive seasons.

Mets Made the Right Choice

Remember way back in the day when the Mets came to a crossroads with regard to their first base situation? Yea, it feels like 10 years ago, and partially because it’s getting close to that actual span of time.

New York entered 2014 with both Duda and Ike Davis on the roster. Manager Terry Collins was going to use his judgement to decide who he’d start each night, but we all know one of them had to pack their bags. A slow start led to Davis getting the boot and Duda getting the job.

While it’s unfortunate Davis ultimately couldn’t make good on his promise as a prospect, the Mets made the right decision for the club by trading him to the Pittsburgh Pirates and giving Duda the proverbial keys to first base. I mean, he immediately rewarded New York with a 30-homer season and more of the same the following season in what will likely go down as his best two-year stretch in a big-league uniform.

Duda’s career beyond the Mets hasn’t gone the way any ballplayer hopes, but his place in recent Mets history is significant for the time being. Especially since he was part of the most successful squad since that super-fun 2006 campaign.