They’ve shared more than just a city. While the Mets and Yankees rarely engage in trade talks, it’s not unusual for players to spend parts of their careers in Queens and in the Bronx. According to Baseball-Reference, the count has now surpassed 150, but here are some of the most notable plus verdicts on which team they fared better with.
David Cone – Mets (1987-92; 03), Yankees (1995-2000)
Few players have been one of the best at their positions for both current New York clubs. It could be argued that David Cone belongs on the Mets and Yankees’ all-time rotations. The Mets got him in a steal of a trade in March ’87. He didn’t start full-time until the following May but made sure it stuck. Cone won 20 games in ’88 for a division title winner, struggled in his first postseason outing but thrived in the next.
During five-plus years as a Mets starter, Cone topped 200 strikeouts three times and led the NL twice. On the season finale in 1991, he tied the team and league record for a single game with 19. Postseasons were the mark of Cone’s Yankees legacy, as he was a vital part of four championship clubs. Then there was the day he was perfect in 1999.
Better as a: Yankee (stats say Mets, but clutch performances say pinstripes)
Darryl Strawberry – Mets (1983-90), Yankees (1995-99)
He should have never left New York in the first place. Darryl Strawberry returned to the city after troublesome years on the west coast with Los Angeles and San Francisco. While he continued to endure personal issues during his time with the Yankees, he contributed to three more title-winning teams adding to a ring collection that began in ’86.
When Yankee Stadium was under repair, Darryl got the chance to return to his initial major-league residence and connected for his 127th homer in Flushing. The forever home run leader in Shea Stadium history and, for now, the Mets’ all-time home run king, Straw’s seven All-Star appearances are tied for the most among Amazin’ position players.
Better as a: Met
Robinson Canó – Yankees (2005-13), Mets (2019-2022)
While Mets fans couldn’t wait to see Robinson Canó go elsewhere, Yankees fans were thrilled by his arrival in 2005. He finished runner-up for the AL Rookie of the Year and would be named an All-Star five times, hitting 204 homers and slashing .309/.355/.504.
Canó’s sojourn to Seattle saw some decrease in production but a bigger fall in reputation with a PED suspension. The trade to the Mets (along with Edwin Diaz) led to additional scrutiny and another drug ban. Canó’s 168 games in orange and blue proved nothing more than a waste. A slightly above league-average hitter at a 105 OPS+, it certainly wasn’t acceptable considering the amount of money he was paid.
Better as a: Yankee
Carlos Beltrán – Mets (2005-11), Yankees (2014-16)
The greatest center field in Mets history was in the twilight of his career by the time he put on the pinstripes. Carlos Beltrán‘s exploits in Flushing are well-known: a terrific outfield range that led to three Gold Gloves, five All-Star selections, a 129 OPS+, 41 long balls in 2006, and three years of at least 110 RBIs. His high-profile signing was a rare case in which the Mets made money well spent.
All this would’ve made his performance as a Yankee very hard to match, more so considering his age. That being said, his numbers in the Bronx aren’t bad. He hit 19 homers and posted a 119 OPS+ in 2015 at age 38 plus 22 home runs in 99 games the next year (with an All-Star nod) before going to Texas.
Better as a: Met
Yogi Berra – Yankees (1946-63), Mets (1965)
Joe Torre, Willie Randolph, and Dallas Green are among those who have coached and/or managed for both Big Apple teams. Yogi Berra too, and he’s the only one to lead both to a World Series. His Fall Classic performance as a Yankee player is unprecedented: an all-time record 74 hits and 10 rings. The regular seasons were pretty good too: three MVPs and 358 home runs. Often forgotten is Yogi’s brief stint as a Mets player, which occurred in the wake of his initial period as a Yankee manager.
Let go following a World Series loss to the Cardinals, Yogi joined the other side as a coach — but in between had a cameo in the lineup with nine at-bats over four games. Berra stayed on the staff through the Miracle Mets year until he took over the club following Gil Hodges‘ sudden passing.
Better as a: Yankee (was this even a discussion?)
Dwight Gooden – Mets (1984-94), Yankees (1996-97, 2000)
Nobody’s Mets career began more spectacularly. Gooden’s presence and the talents of the team in the mid-1980s turned New York orange and blue. Especially when Dr. K was on the mound, the Mets were the most fascinating and most successful club in town. He was the top rookie in ’84, the top pitcher in ’85, and a World Champion in ’86. Dwight Gooden may not have gotten the most out of his ability, but his ability was better than most who ever pitched for the franchise.
He did everything but get a no-hitter. That came on May 14, 1996 at Yankee Stadium against the Seattle Mariners. He made a final appearance at Shea in a memorable two-stadium doubleheader while getting the win in the process.
Better as a: Met (again, was this even a discussion?)
Orlando Hernández – Yankees (1998-02, 2004), Mets (2006-07)
Like Cone, the success of the Yankees in the late 1990s afforded “El Duque” the opportunity to make many important starts. Rarely did he disappoint. In his first year after escaping Cuba, Hernández allowed one run in 14 October innings. He was the MVP of the ’99 ALCS and didn’t lose a postseason decision until the Mets defeated him in Game 3 of the 2000 World Series. Hernández had a 112 ERA+ over 44 starts in Queens but provided veteran leadership on a team mostly reliant on its lineup. Any chance of pitching in the postseason for the Mets was ruined when he injured his hamstring in late September 2006 after the division title was already secured.
Better as a: Yankee
Curtis Granderson – Yankees (2010-13), Mets (2014-17)
One of a few to play for a New York team one year and play for the other New York team the next. The dimensions at Yankee Stadium were more to the lefty swinger’s liking. Curtis Granderson hit a career-best 41 homers in 2011, only to surpass that with 43 in 2012. He exceeded 100 RBIs in both seasons.
The love for Grandy spread to Citi Field, especially when he helped lead the Mets to the World Series. Notorious for slow starts, Granderson picked it up as the 2015 season went into October. He drove in 13 runs in the playoffs including three World Series homers. He added 30 more long balls in 2016. At his introductory press conference after switching sides in 2013, Granderson declared that “true New Yorkers are Mets fans.” Who’s to argue with him?
Better as a: Yankee (the short porch in right field didn’t hurt)
Al Leiter – Yankees (1987-89; 2005), Mets (1998-04)
He’s now a Mets Hall of Famer and isn’t soon to be seen in Monument Park. Al Leiter began his big-league career with an organization lacking direction. The New Jersey native only got 22 appearances in two-plus seasons and fewer with Toronto. But he won a couple World Series there an another in Florida before getting the chance to play for the team he grew up rooting for. His first year with the Mets, 1998, was his best year. His best performance was the 1999 Wild Card tiebreaker and he had many clutch playoff outings. Leiter left the Mets in the top 10 of many club pitching categories, including a 124 ERA+, and has stayed there. He finished out his career with the Yankees—far more accomplished but clearly not the same he had recently been before.
Better as a: Met
Rickey Henderson – Yankees (1985-89), Mets (1999-00)
He played for enough teams over his lengthy and monumental career that he was bound to end up in New York at least once. Rickey Henderson‘s domination during the 1980s was mainly in Oakland but included a stop in the Bronx. While he didn’t put up the same prodigious stolen base numbers, averaging 75 in four full years was superior by comparison to the rest of the league. He was traded back to the A’s as part of a Yankees mid-season and later bounced to Toronto, San Diego, and Anaheim before landing in Queens.
Now in his early 40s, Henderson didn’t steal bases with the same prowess. But he did have a 117 OPS+ as the leadoff hitter for a ’99 team that reached the postseason for the first time in 11 years before eventually wearing out his welcome.
Better as a: Yankee
