While December 20th is a day New York Mets fans will always remember for David Wright‘s birthday, the organization has also made a couple of impactful acquisitions on this date in franchise history. One was swinging a trade for John Olerud in 1996, and the other was signing Cliff Floyd to a four-year, $26 million deal in 2002.
New York sent Robert Person to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Olerud, and while the first baseman was only with the Mets for three seasons, he made his mark. He was part of the “Best Infield Ever?” group in 1999, and although his glove was an asset in the field, Olerud made an impact in several different ways with the bat in his hands.
Through 2,018 plate appearances in Queens, Olerud slashed .315/.425/.501 with 63 home runs and 291 RBI. He was very consistent, too — he never finished a year for the Mets with fewer than 19 home runs or 93 RBI. His .315 career average is the best in Mets history, and his .354 average in 1998 is the best single-season mark in franchise history. The 8.1 fWAR he posted during this particular season is also the second-highest mark for a single season, with Wright’s 8.4 fWAR in 2007 being the only one better.
I’ll die on the hill that Olerud never gets as much love as he should, and I’ve got some proof to back it up. During his three-year stint with New York, his 18.3 fWAR was third-highest among first baseman during that stretch. The only ones with more? Jeff Bagwell (22.5) and Mark McGwire (19.9).
25 years ago today, Mets made one of the best trades in team history when they sent Robert Person to Blue Jays for John Olerud.
Olerud hit .315/.425/.501 with 109 doubles, 63 homers, in 3 seasons with the Mets.
His 146 wRC+ is best in team history.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) December 20, 2021
Similar to how Olerud’s arrival helped usher in the Mets’ run of competitive baseball in the late 1990s, Floyd helped do that by signing with the club six years later. The 2005 season was a landmark campaign for the left-handed outfielder, as he hit a career-high 34 home runs, along with 85 RBI and a .273/.358/.505 line through 626 plate appearances. It was the only time he played more than 130 games in a season for New York, posting a 124 wRC+ and 3.7 fWAR in the process.
While Floyd only suited up for 97 games in 2006, he caught the final out to clinch New York’s first National League East title since 1988, and he played a role in sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS before going down with a season-ending injury on the bases.
12/20/2002 Cliff Floyd signs a four-year, $26 million contract with the Mets. Floyd hit a career-high 34 home runs during the 2005 season. The next year, he hit .444 against the Dodgers in the NLDS. @CliffFloyd30 pic.twitter.com/AmzLJahomD
— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) December 20, 2021
So, it turns out we have much more to celebrate than just the Captain’s birthday when the calendar flips to December 20th, and it’s a pretty significant date in franchise history. That’s especially the case when thinking about the last few times New York put together competitive teams that went deep into the playoffs.