By Tim Ryder
The 2000s saw a little bit of everything here in Queens.
The New York Mets were, for a time, the best team in baseball — heck, the decade started off with a World Series berth. They were also the laughingstock of the game for a while, too. Ebbs and flows, right?
Shea Stadium saw its gates pulled down for the final time in 2008, but the three years leading up to that point were, for lack of a better term, amazing.
Yes, I’m fully aware of how 2006, 2007, and 2008 ended. But over those three seasons, the Mets were the cream of MLB’s crop (their 274 wins were most in the NL over that span) and those teams, as well as others throughout the decade, brought some exciting times along with them.
There were lots of guys I wished I could include in this compilation (Robin Ventura, Paul Lo Duca, Ty Wigginton, John Maine, Oliver Perez, et al), but, as Mets fans, just the mention of their names brings about (mostly) great memories. We’re gonna need those to suffice for now.
Join us as we go through our Mets All-Decade Team: 2000s. Thanks for reading!
Mike Piazza, C
Piazza was acquired by the Mets from the Florida Marlins for Preston Wilson — son of Mets legend Mookie Wilson — and left-handers Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz in May of 1998.
After signing a seven-year, $91 million extension that offseason, the Pennslyvania product became the heart and soul of Flushing, as well as the most prolific offensive player in franchise history.
Piazza spent the first half of the 2000s in Queens (2000 to 2005), slashing .286/.368/.525 with 157 home runs, 455 RBIs, a 129 wRC+, and 18 wins above replacement (FanGraphs).
The Baseball Hall of Famer was named to five National League All-Star teams during that decade (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005), and finished third in NL MVP voting in 2000.
Carlos Delgado, 1B
Despite his Mets tenure only lasting four seasons — 2006 to 2009; the final four seasons of his career — Delgado, also acquired in a trade with the Marlins (Mike Jacobs, Yusmeiro Petit, Grant Psomas; November 2005), clubbed 104 home runs over that span, slashing .267/.351/.506 with 339 RBIs, a 119 wRC+, and 6.1 fWAR.
His veteran presence and huge bat in the middle of Willie Randolph‘s lineup arguably took those mid-2000s Mets to another level. Unfortunately, they never got over the hump.
Luis Castillo, 2B
If we put aside his infamous dropped pop fly at Yankee Stadium in 2009 (just brutal), Castillo’s time in New York was mostly prosperous.
The Dominican native slashed .284/.374/.339 during his two-and-a-half seasons in Flushing during the 2000s (mid-2007 to 2009) while playing a more-than-capable second base.
One of the last of the true slap hitters, Castillo was a table-setter, scoring 160 runs with 47 stolen bases and 9.1 baserunning runs above average (BsR; FanGraphs) during that span.
David Wright, 3B
O Captain, My Captain. Wright had his career cut short by injuries, but from his debut in 2004 through the end of the decade, he was one of the most exciting players in the game.
Between his diving stops, smooth pickups on slow rollers and, lest we forget, over-the-back, leaping bare-handed catches, his play at third base was outstanding (those throws, well, let’s not worry about those throws).
At the plate, the Virginia product was just as spectacular. Over six seasons with the Mets in the 2000s (2004 to 2009), Wright slashed .309/.389/.518 with 140 home runs (can’t help but smile at the thought of all those oppo-tacos soaring out at Big Shea), 561 RBIs, 222 doubles, 138 wRC+, and 31.1 fWAR — sixth-most in MLB over that span.
Jose Reyes, SS
Reyes made his MLB debut in 2003 at the age of 19, lacing a line-drive grand slam in his sixth major league game (at Anaheim) and, quite literally, took off from there.
The Dominican native’s .286/.337/.435 slash line, 301 stolen bases, 551 runs scored, and 44.6 BsR from 2003 to 2009 — not to mention his awe-inspiring sprints from home to third on lined-gappers to the wall — made Reyes a fan-favorite early on in his career, inciting “Jose, Jose, Jose” chants with every at-bat.
His penchant for turning singles into doubles and doubles into triples, as well as his cannon throwing arm and physics-defying play at shortstop, earned him two All-Star selections during the 2000s (2006 and 2007).
Cliff Floyd, OF
Another former Marlin, Floyd came to the Mets via free agency in the 2003 offseason. During four seasons in Flushing (2003 to 2006), Floyd slashed .268/.354/.478 with 81 homers, 273 RBIs, a 17.3% walk rate, and +2 DRS in over 3,600 innings roaming the outfield grass at Shea.
His 116 wRC+ ranks sixth among Mets hitters during the 2000s and his 81 dingers are good for fifth.
Note: I still think, constantly, about Floyd’s long foul ball three batters ahead of our next honoree in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. Just imagine that alternate reality for a second… OK, onward.
Carlos Beltran, OF
Beltran signing with the Mets during the 2005 offseason was one of the brightest days of this franchise’s history. For once, the Mets got their guy and left the Yankees high and dry. All Beltran did was go on to become arguably the best outfielder (on both sides of the chalk) the organization has ever seen.
From his Flushing debut through the end of the decade, the Puerto Rican native hit .281/.368/.505 with 25.4 fWAR, 126 wRC+, 127 home runs, 466 RBIs, 94 stolen bases, and 167 doubles. In the field, Beltran racked up 38 DRS and 19.5 UZR over 5,797 outfield innings played.
If and when he’s elected to Cooperstown, it’s not outside the realm of possibility Carlos Beltran will go in wearing a Mets cap, as Piazza did before him, for his exploits during the 2000s.
Endy Chavez, OF
I’m just gonna throw this out there: Endy belongs on this list and it’s only marginally due to The Catch.
Yes, his over-the-fence robbery of a Scott Rolen home run in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS is one of the greatest catches in the history of postseason baseball, possibly all-time. But Chavez’ .288/.330/.386 slash line with 4.7 fWAR over three seasons with the Mets during the 2000s, along with his sublime play in the outfield, propelled the Mets to their pinnacle at the time.
His skillful defense at any outfield position was an asset, as was his speed on the basepaths. With him and Reyes at each respective end of the Mets’ mid-2000s lineups, there was no shortage of speed, as evidenced by his 98 runs scored and 4.3 BsR.
Edgardo Alfonzo, UTL
After all these years, Fonzie remains a fan-favorite in Queens. Well before leading the Short Season-A Brooklyn Cyclones to the 2019 New York-Penn League championship in 2019 (since relieved of his duties), Alfonzo led the 2000 Mets to their first NL pennant since 1986.
Over three seasons with New York in the 2000s (2000 to 2002), the Venezuelan native hit .294/.383/.472 with a 126 wRC+, 13.3 fWAR, 88 doubles, 58 home runs, and 199 RBIs while playing solid defense at multiple infield positions (second and third base).
Pedro Martinez, RHP
No, Pedro’s tenure with the Mets didn’t live up to the hype. But the energy and gusto Martinez brought to Flushing was just the kickstart this franchise needed at the time.
When Mets GM Omar Minaya signed Martinez ahead of the 2005 season, it brought instant credibility to a team that was in desperate need of some. One month later, Beltran was in the mix, and, as fans, we could almost feel the magic returning to Queens.
Martinez (3.88 ERA/3.69 FIP, 464 strikeouts, 137 walks, and 1.16 WHIP over his four seasons with the Mets; 2005 to 2008) may not have provided ace-level stuff consistently, but the intangibles he brought in addition to his on-field productivity was more than enough to secure him a spot on this list.
Al Leiter, LHP
Leiter reached legendary status with this organization after his heroics in 1999 and 2000, but once the new millenium began, Leiter continued to produce at high levels despite his advanced age.
From his age-34 season in 2000, leading the Mets to their first World Series berth since 1986, through 2004, his age-38 season, the southpaw pitched to a 3.43 ERA with 15.7 wins above replacement and an 8.6 percent home run-to-fly ball ratio.
His fastball didn’t always have that extra giddy-up at this point in his career, but Leiter made up for that in spades with his craftiness and command.
Pedro Feliciano, RP
There was no bullpen arm steadier or more readily available through the 200os than Mets left-hander, “Perpetual” Pedro Feliciano. From 2008 through 2010, Feliciano led the majors in appearances each season (86, 88, 92) and did so with a 3.44 ERA.
Over his 2000s tenure in Queens, Feliciano’s numbers were very similar. Over 309.2 innings pitched from 2002 through 2010, the Puerto Rican product pitched to a 3.31 ERA/3.86 FIP with four saves.
Without the man with the rubber arm, there’s no telling where those mid-2000s Mets teams would have been. We all know what a weak bullpen can do to a ball club.
Billy Wagner, CL
Wagner signed with the Mets during the 2006 offseason. After putting together an All-Star career over nine seasons in Houston and two more in Philly, the left-handed fireballer’s arrival in New York put many minds at ease after many harrowing late-inning adventures with Armando Benitez and John Franco.
Over three-and-a-half seasons in Flushing (2006 to mid-2009), Wagner pitched to a 2.37 ERA/2.87 FIP with 230 strikeouts, 54 walks, 1.05 WHIP, and 101 saves. The Virginia native was on the losing end of just five decisions during his time in Queens.
