Here was a reason to smile. The Mets’ stingy budget was broken somewhat when Curtis Granderson agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract on December 6th, 2013. For a team coming off a 74-88 record but stocked with promising young pitchers, it had now landed a veteran to provide leadership alongside David Wright — not to mention a good bat and range in the outfield.
Granderson spent his first nine-plus years compiling a 117 OPS+ with 217 home runs. Much of that time was spent in Detroit, where his speed allowed him to twice lead the league in triples. He then went to the Yankees and became more of a power threat — averaging 29 homers per season thanks in large part to the short right-field porch in the Bronx (including two seasons of 40-plus homers).
If Granderson’s transfer to Queens didn’t already garner enough support, this quote in his introductory press conference certainly did: “A lot of people have told me true New Yorkers are Mets fans.”
The appreciation would extend his performance in the orange and blue. From 2014 until his trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017, he had an OPS+ of 116 and topped 20 home runs in each full season.
Granderson proved to be a key contributor in the Mets’ postseason appearances. As the leadoff hitter in 2015, he led New York in hits, walks, on-base percentage, steals, total bases, and runs scored. He continued to be an important offensive presence come October. Curtis electrified the Citi Field crowd, already hyped for the ballpark’s first-ever postseason game, when he delivered a first-inning bases-clearing double to center field. It turned an early 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. The Mets went on to a 13-7 victory and Granderson matched a club postseason record with five RBI.
In the World Series against Kansas City, he temporarily put New York on top in Game 1 with a homer to right field. He’d go deep twice more — in Games 3 and 5 — before the home crowd and would drive in five runs in the five-game loss.
The Mets only played one game during the 2016 postseason, but it was still enough time for Granderson to provide his most memorable defensive play: a sensational inning-ending catch just before crashing into the center-field wall to preserve a scoreless tie in top of the sixth against the San Francisco Giants.
Fans admired Granderson as much for his on-field contributions as the way he carried himself. His positive energy and constant all-out effort made him one of the most beloved Mets in recent years. His extensive charitable work made him one of the most visible and philanthropic players in the entire league. He was acknowledged for those efforts as the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award in 2016.
