Mets Prepare to Play Familiar Faces in San Francisco

As the Mets head to San Francisco to face the Giants in a four-game series beginning on Thursday, it will be a reunion of sorts as they prepare to face four former Mets who are on the current Giants’ active roster. Former Mets on the Giants roster include infielders J.D. Davis, Darin Ruf, and Wilmer Flores, along with outfielder Michael Conforto. That group of former Mets represents four of the Giants’ top healthy hitters by OPS this season.

J.D. Davis

Davis was with the Mets from 2019 until 2022 when he was traded to San Francisco with pitchers Thomas Szapucki, Carson Seymour, and Nick Zwack for the previously mentioned Ruf.

During his time in New York, Davis batted .278/.364/.451, with a .815 OPS. He hit 51 doubles, two triples, and 37 home runs, driving in 120 runs and scoring 135 runs.

This season in San Francisco, Davis is hitting .333/.373/.593 with four home runs, 13 RBIs, and has been a surprisingly good defender at third base (3 OAA) in a small sample size.

Darin Ruf

Ruf came over to the Mets in the August trade last year that netted San Francisco four players. During his couple of months in New York, Ruf batted just .152/.216/.197 and just three extra-base hits.

Ruf struggled again in spring training this season and the Mets decided to designate him for assignment. He was eventually released and then quickly scooped up by his former team.

The veteran infielder has hit .267/.390/.400 with two doubles in six games since joining the Giants this season.

Wilmer Flores

Flores was signed by the Mets in 2007 and stayed with the organization through the 2018 big league season. The Mets decided to non-tender the fan favorite and he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. After one season in Arizona, he has spent the rest of his time in San Francisco.

During his time with the Mets, Flores batted .262/.303/.424 with 68 home runs in 581 games. But, the key stat for Flores with the Mets was his team record 10 walk-off RBIs.

This year in San Francisco, Flores is hitting .320/.358/.480 with two home runs in 14 games. Overall, he has a 108 OPS+ in 359 games with San Francisco.

Michael Conforto

Conforto was drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft at the No. 10 overall pick. The left-handed batter spent all but this most recent 2023 season with the Mets. In total, he spent 7 seasons wearing the orange and blue. His final few seasons with the Mets were marked with unfortunate injuries, including strains to both hamstrings, a dislocated shoulder, and a concussion.

During his time with New York, Conforto batted .255/.356/.468, with a .824 OPS. He had 141 doubles, four triples, and 132 home runs. He drove in 396 and had 400 runs scored.

Injury kept Conforto from signing with a team for the 2022 season before he signed with the Giants for two years this offseason. Conforto is off to a fine start in his first action since 2021 with .233/.377/.512 slash line and is tied for the team lead with for home runs in only 43 at-bats.

The Mets and Giants begin their four-game series on Thursday and many eyes will be on Davis, Ruf, Flores, and Conforto facing their former team.