Within that 14-year span, he broke records, made seven All-Star teams, was an elite third baseman both in the field and at the plate, and was the face of a franchise that far too often didn’t come close to meeting the standards he was at. In spite of setbacks, many beyond his control, he carried himself as a true leader—a player that fans could relate to and be proud of. Wright built a legacy that has made him a Mets immortal and among the most Amazin’ to ever wear orange and blue.

Welcome to the Bigs – July 21, 2004

It was meant to be. He rooted for the Mets growing up in the Tidewater area of Virginia. After being drafted in 2001, Wright blossomed in the minor league system and never gave the organization reason to question him as a cornerstone player-in-waiting. David went hitless in his major league debut at Shea Stadium versus the Montreal Expos, but made several impressive plays in the field. The necessary tools to become the third base fixture and team leader were evident.

Although it was a small sample size of 69 games and 263 at-bats, Wright finished ’04 with a .293 batting average, 14 home runs, and 40 RBIs while carrying himself in a manner unusual for a 21-year-old. It was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal Mets season.

Glove Not Required – August 9, 2005

Easily his greatest defensive highlight occurred at Petco Park during his first full big-league season. San Diego’s Brian Giles lifted a soft fly ball over Wright’s head in the seventh inning—a certain hit (usually). It would’ve been tough enough to make the play with a mitt. So as he ran back for the ball, he tracked the trajectory and where it was headed—leaving him little choice about the next course of action.

Wright reached out with his throwing hand. While falling down, he held on to the ball before landing on the grass in shallow left. It was one of the best catches you’ll ever see, by a Met or anyone.

Subway Series Classic – May 19, 2006

What’s the lasting image of David Wright? For many, it’s him running out of the batter’s box after a drive to straightaway center field and leaping with hope multiple times before exulting after he had delivered the game-winning hit to beat Mariano Rivera and the Yankees.

He faced a legendary closer with the score sitting at 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth. On a 2-2 pitch, Rivera threw his patented cutter down in the strike zone.

Johnny Damon couldn’t get it. Paul Lo Duca scored to ensure a thrilling victory in one of the best Subway Series games ever. It was also a series that carried extra significance for the Mets, as it came in the midst of their best regular season since the start of the decade, coupled with the emergence of a new face of the franchise.

A Homer Happy All-Star Debut – July 10 & 11, 2006

Ignore the fact that after the Home Run Derby, Wright’s second-half power numbers tailed off significantly. But that night (and the next) was a national coming-out party for David. He ended up second to the Phillies’ Ryan Howard in the derby. But nobody told him the contest was over.

Wright stepped up for his first All-Star Game at-bat and hit a liner off former Met Kenny Rogers in the second inning that cleared the short left-field fence. Wright was one of six Mets selected to the National League squad in a season when the East was already a runaway by the unofficial midway point. The American League’s comeback victory prevented Wright from potentially being the game’s MVP.

Welcome to the Club – September 16, 2007

His third base predecessor Howard Johnson did it three times. Darryl Strawberry accomplished it as well. Now it was Wright’s turn to enter the select 30-homer, 30-steal circle. An opposite-field homer against Philadelphia made David the first 30-30 Met since HoJo in 1991.

While September 2007 was certainly a month to forget for his team, Wright did not suffer down the stretch. In fact, he had a 1.034 OPS over the regular season’s final 27 games and would’ve made a strong case for NL MVP if the Mets hadn’t completely cratered.

Lone Walk-off Homer – August 7, 2008

He held the Mets record for walk-off hits before it was broken by Wilmer Flores, but only once did a game-ender leave the park. It couldn’t have come at a better time for the player or the club. Both Wright and the Mets were struggling. New York had lost five of six, and manager Jerry Manuel even considered sitting David for this afternoon’s contest versus the San Diego Padres. But Wright proved his worth. He singled in the first, doubled in the fifth, and punctuated his three-hit day with a two-out, two-run homer against Heath Bell.

First Mets Citi Field Blast – April 13, 2009

Who better? And how ironic also, considering the original canyon-like dimensions helped to severely limit Wright’s power numbers for years to come. After he laced a double down the right field line in the bottom of the first for the Mets’ initial hit in their new ballpark, Wright came up with two on and two out in the fifth, and the Mets down by three. He had enough lift and distance to send it about 390 feet. Back then, that was *barely* enough to get it over “The Great Wall of Flushing.” That briefly tied the score at five, but the San Diego Padres would be the home-opening spoiler.

The Hit King – September 26, 2012

He had already become the leader in nearly every significant offensive category: RBIs, runs scored, extra-base hits, and total bases. A little more than eight years into his career, David surpassed Ed Kranepool for the most hits ever by a New York Met. But it didn’t happen in typical David Wright fashion. The record-breaker was a dribbler down the third-base line. The attempted throw to get Wright out sailed wide of first, and he advanced on the throwing error. But they all count the same. After that infield single, the count was a historic 1,419.

“Captain” Made Official – March 21, 2013

Dating back to his start in the big leagues, Wright embodied the qualities that make a team captain. Eight full seasons into his career, and having signed an extension earlier that off-season, the Mets gave him the title he deserved. Wright became the fourth player in franchise history to have the honor, joining Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, and John Franco. It was the first time anyone held the title since Franco left the team in 2004. A leader by example, he exemplified professional success and personal character, which earned respect from those in the clubhouse and throughout the league.

Your All-Star Host – July 16, 2013

When the Mets hosted a Midsummer Classic for the first time in almost 50 years, the man playing in his seventh served as an unofficial ambassador. His duties included participating in the Home Run Derby and receiving the ceremonial first pitch from Tom Seaver, who not surprisingly, has the most All-Star selections of any Amazin’ with nine. Wright also won the fan balloting at third base and manager Bruce Bochy slotted him in the clean-up spot of the starting lineup. He singled in the seventh inning off Greg Holland—the last of his three at-bats in the game and, as it turned out, his final All-Star appearance.

Returning with Thunder – August 24, 2015

In the top of the second inning at Citizens Bank Park, Wright prepared to take his first swing in 133 days. Once a mainstay in the Mets lineup, he had missed over four months. First, it was a hamstring injury, and then, because of the dreaded spinal stenosis, the ailment which would ultimately cause the premature end of his career. It wasn’t a certainty he’d ever return.  Now, Wright was facing Phillies starter Adam Morgan. The 1-1 pitch went over the heart of the plate. David swung and did not miss. It wasn’t just a home run, it was a moonshot.

The Fist-Pump – September 7, 2015

This was the unleashing of stored energy. Wright ran from first base off a liner to right-center by Yoenis Céspedes in the seventh inning of the series opener with the Washington Nationals. The ball was retrieved on the warning track by Bryce Harper. Wright turned for home. With his team eying a first postseason berth since he was a rising star in 2006, the emotion of the moment came out soon after he slid safely ahead of the throw from Anthony Rendon and the tag from Wilson Ramos. The Mets won that day, the next, and ultimately completed a three-game sweep to sew up the division title.

A World Series Homer to Remember – October 30, 2015

He had spent 12 seasons waiting to make the Fall Classic. He had spent many months just hoping to be healthy. In his first World Series at-bat in New York (and the first World Series game at Citi Field) with a runner on base, he sent a towering drive over the left-center field fence and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Wright’s classic swing put the Mets on top, 2-1. New York went on to capture their lone win of the series, 9-3, with Wright tacking on two more RBIs in the sixth with a single to center.

Farewell, Captain – September 28, 2018

On the penultimate day of the regular season, Wright bid goodbye to a New York audience that watched him grow up. With setbacks that would’ve forced a less determined player to quit, Wright was too proud to go out that way. After returning the previous night for his first at-bat in more than two years, an anticipatory sellout crowd at Citi Field was there for the finale. Wright made two plate appearances: drawing a walk in the first and popping out to foul territory in the fourth. Before the fifth inning started, it was time for the final send-off and an ovation that was both long and very much deserved.

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If there was a “nice guy” Hall of Fame, he’d be a first-ballot inductee. Beyond his playing ability, Curtis Granderson was the epitome of professionalism. Hard work, hustle, class and his smile earned him tremendous respect league-wide over his 16-year career.

Granderson arrived in Queens following four seasons in the Bronx with the Yankees. At his introductory press conference, he stated, “real New Yorkers are Mets fans”. This, among other things, made him easy to root for. He totaled a 10.9 bWAR during his time with the Mets and was a significant factor during their run to the 2015 World Series when he slashed .259/.364/.457 with 26 home runs. He hit 30 more homers the following year, one of four times in which he equaled or exceeded that number.

The Case For

Granderson made seven stops—from Detroit to New York and elsewhere—between 2004 and 2019 in a career that included 344 home runs, 937 RBIs and 153 stolen bases. He was a true five-tool player with the Tigers. That array of talents was showcased best in 2007, when he accumulated the highest bWAR of his career (7.6), along with the rare 20-double, 20-triple, 20-homer, 20-steal season. Only two other major leaguers at that time had ever achieved such a feat.

If 2007 wasn’t his best season, however, then 2011 was. As a Yankee that year, Granderson hit 41 home runs and established career-highs in slugging percentage (.552), OPS (.916), OPS+ (142), runs (136) and RBIs (119). He led the majors in runs scored and the American League in runs batted in. He also stole 25 bases, earned his only Silver Slugger Award and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. The next year, he hit 42 homers and earned his second-straight All-Star selection (third overall).

Although Granderson never won a Gold Glove, he was a solid outfielder who finished with 32 Defensive Runs Saved. Additionally, by the definition of the character clause, he has that in abundance: his philanthropic efforts helped earn him the 2016 Roberto Clemente Award.

The Case Against

It was only in that 2007 season when Granderson had a WAR higher than 7.0. His career 47.2 WAR is below fellow 2025 candidates Jimmy Rollins, David Wright, Torii Hunter and Dustin Pedroia.

According to JAWS, a metric which is calculated by averaging a player’s career WAR with the total WAR from his seven-year peak, Granderson ranks No. 33 among center fielders. It’s better than a handful of Hall of Fame players but behind non-Hall members Devon White, Brett Butler and Bernie Williams.

By the standards of the similarity scores on Baseball Reference, Granderson’s number is closest to quality players who are admittedly not getting in: Justin Upton, Bobby Bonds, Ron Gant and José Bautista.

The 2011 season was the only one in which he finished in the top five of MVP voting. He was No. 10 in 2007 and No. 18 in 2015, and three All-Star appearances is particularly low for someone vying for the Hall of Fame.

There was nothing in particular that stood out when it comes to his postseason resume either. Over 16 series, which included 15 games as a Met, he had a .741 OPS with nine homers, nine steals and 30 RBIs.

Final Thoughts

With all due respect, this is an open and shut case. Grandy is not a Hall of Famer, and the better question is whether he’d receive the necessary five percent of votes to simply remain on the writer’s ballot. He had a few years that can be considered elite, but in order to get to Cooperstown, you need more than a few. Overall, Granderson was a very good player with an exceptional reputation.

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Starling Marte. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

We’re just two games into the 2023 MLB season, but Starling Marte has already teased tantalizing signs of operating at the full peak of his powers for the New York Mets.

There were some concerns over whether or not Marte would be at full tilt come Opening Day after undergoing core surgery during the offseason. However, those fears have quickly been eradicated.

Through the first two games of the season, Marte has displayed all the signs that he’s already firing on all cylinders and has been willing to run at every given opportunity. He has already stolen two bases, with one coming on Opening Day and the other coming in the loss to the Marlins on Friday.

Starling Marte swipes the first bag of the year 🏃‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Y5k2TfQ3oR

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 30, 2023

During both instances, Marte showed no signs of limitations when running and he looked back to full power in that respect. Given that the core injury clearly restricted the 34-year-old in 2022, it will be incredibly encouraging for the Mets that Marte has not only been willing to run a lot more from the very get-go in 2023, but that he’s done so while looking like the Marte of old.

As good as he was for the Mets in 2022 – hitting .292/.347/.468 to go with a 3.0 fWAR and a 136 wRC+, Marte was a shadow of his former self when it came to running the bases. He stole just 18 bases, his lowest total since the 2020 season and he was caught stealing nine times (his highest total since 2018). The fact that Marte has already stolen base twice this year and has looked more like his old self is a good omen for the rest of the 2023 season.

Plus, as the SNY broadcast touched on, the new rules have set the stage for Marte to be an absolute game-changer on the base paths this year. With bigger bases introduced in order to encourage more stolen bases, Marte should absolutely thrive in this new world we’re all living in and he has proved, albeit in a small sample size, that he still has the wheels required to finish among the league leaders in stolen bases in 2023.

Provided he can remain healthy, Marte’s speed will be an absolute lethal weapon throughout the year and it would not be surprising if he gets close to or even surpasses the 47 bases he stole in 2021 while with the Marlins and the A’s.

We shouldn’t also underestimate Marte’s general value at the plate, either. He’s slashing .500/.556/.500/.1.056 to begin 2023, going a combined 4-for-8 in the first two games of the season. He’s also drawn a walk and he’ll be a big factor in that second spot behind the leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo in this lineup.

With Marte looking the healthiest he’s been since he joined the team last year, he’s poised for a monster year offensively and he’s already flashed seductive signs of that in the opening two games of 2023. If he can mash at the plate while stealing an abundance of bases and causing problems on the base paths with his blistering speed, then Marte really could be the X-Factor in this lineup for the Mets. This team needs their key offensive players to step up this year and, if Marte can do exactly that, then that would be a considerable boost.

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Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

It seems as though at least one of Major League Baseball’s rule changes is already having the desired impact.

We’re a day into the 2023 MLB season and Opening Day 2023 was both a success for the Mets, and for the game of baseball overall. There was action galore and a lot of that action was to be found on the base paths.

While the introduction of the pitch clock attracted the most attention throughout spring training, increasing the size of the bases was done to try to infuse the game with a deluge of action. After all, Major League Baseball had become all about feast and famine with home runs and strikeouts, with little else happing in between. By increasing the size of the bases from 15 inches to 18 inches and reducing the distance between first and second and second and third, the league hoped this would encourage and lead to more stolen bases.

It has already worked.

And, it should also be noted that the change to the pickoff rule is also going to have a positive influence on more stolen bases too. With pitchers now limited to just two disengagements with a third attempt resulting in a charged balk, that will encourage hitters to steal more often as was the case in the minors, which saw a rapid rise in stolen bases in the wake of the new pickoff rule being implemented.

Aside from looking like giant pizza boxes, the bigger bases had exactly the desired effect on Opening Day alone. As the below Tweet illustrates, there was a dramatic increase in stolen bases and, perhaps more importantly, the success rate.

Stolen Base Opening Day Comparison

2022:
Stolen bases: 5
Caught stealing: 4
Success rate: 56%

2023:
Stolen bases: 21
Caught stealing: 2
Success rate: 91%

— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) March 31, 2023

We saw 16 more stolen bases on Opening Day 2023 than we did on Opening Day in 2022, two fewer were caught stealing and the success rate not only increased, but it skyrocketed. The fact that we witnessed such a huge positive difference in such a small sample size only bodes well for the future.

It was also the most bases stolen on an Opening Day since 1907. That stat alone perhaps best illustrates the rapid success of the bigger bases.

MLB wanted more action on the base paths in order to make the game a more fun and entertaining product full of action and, if Opening Day is anything to go by, the larger bases will help to accomplish that goal and then some. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility to suggest that we could see a return to the days when Jacoby Ellsbury stole 70 bases in 2009, and former Met Jose Reyes stole 78 bases in 2007.

More stolen bases and more action on the base paths, just like the glory days of old, will only be good for the game.

To hammer home the point a little bit more emphatically, the Baltimore Orioles alone had five stolen bases on Opening Day, highlighting that teams full of speed and athleticism are already taking full advantage. Not only that, but it took over three full days of games in 2022 before there were even over 17 stolen bases.

The difference already is staggering.

The new change also benefited the Mets. One of the biggest and most interesting trends to emerge from their Opening Day win over the Marlins on Thursday was their aggressiveness in running the bases. They hit two sacrifice flies after Daniel Vogelbach and then Brandon Nimmo went from first-to-third. That is a sight we should get used to seeing a lot in 2023.

Plus, Starling Marte opened his season with a stolen base and both he and Francisco Lindor, given the blistering speed they both possess, should absolutely torment opposing lineups and feast on the bountiful opportunities the bigger base paths will present to them when it comes to stealing bases.

Overall, something needed to be done to inject more action into the game of baseball and, while increasing the size of the bases sounds simple on the surface, we’ve needed just one day to see how big of a difference it has made already. And, if Opening Day is anything to go by, the base paths are going to provide a lot of entertainment throughout 2023. And that’s what the game needs.

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This offseason, we’ve been looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. We began with the team’s best signings. Now we’re saving the worst for last. At No. 10 is an outfielder whose second act with New York was nothing like his first. 

The Mets have not been averse to reunions. Rarely has it worked out. José Reyes, Jeromy Bernitz, Kevin McReynolds are just a few failed retreads.

Roger Cedeño‘s first stint in New York lasted one season, but it was a terrific one in 1999. For a team that made its first postseason appearance in 11 years, Cedeño set what then was a club record with 66 stolen bases. He also had a slash line of .313/.396/.408.

The Mets used Cedeño and his increased value as a trade chip, dealing him a package that resulted in the acquisition of left-handed starter Mike Hampton and outfielder Derek Bell.

As brilliant as the move was by general manager Steve Phillips to acquire Cedeño from the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the ’99 season, it was equally as misguided to bring him back before ’02. In those subsequent two years with the Mets, Cedeño hit .263/.319/.362 with 39 steals.

Coming off a year in which the Mets offense was the major league’s worst, Phillips was determined to make several offseason splashes aimed at fixing the lackluster run production of 2001. Cedeño was inked to a four-year, $18 million deal with the hopes he could be the same spark to the lineup as he was in 1999.

Although fellow newcomers Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar (can’t forget the Bernitz revival too) were high-profile faces in the disastrous 2002 campaign, Cedeno was not immune from drawing the ire of Mets fans growing increasingly frustrated. There was plenty of blame to go around. Several played well below their potential, with Cedeño among the most underwhelming.

His salary wasn’t the only thing that got bigger. There was visible weight gain — not exactly the ideal training plan for a supposed speedster. It didn’t help that his hitting declined too, with a horrid on-base percentage of .318 and an OPS+ of 78. Did we mention his fielding was terrible also? Cedeño’s defensive WAR was -1.0 with -10 defensive runs saved.

It didn’t get better in 2003 — both for the Mets and for Cedeño. That low stolen base total? It got lower: from 25 to 14. His on-base percentage and OPS+? Both went up…to .320 and 84. And he was still lost in the outfield.

There was nothing to justify keeping him past ’03, even if it meant eating the remainder of his contract. The Mets eventually cut their losses. Just prior to Opening Day 2004, Cedeño was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. Just over a year later, he was out of baseball.

Roger Cedeño is proof that a second look can lead to a bad final impression.

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This week was a difficult one in baseball with the passing of two legends.

First it was the face of the New York Mets franchise, Tom Seaver, who passed on Monday. On Sunday, Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock passed away at age 81.

A 19-year career, bunches of stolen bases (938 in total), over 3,000 hits, and a .293 career batting average were just some of the many career highlights for Sweet Lou. He also had a stretch of 12 consecutive seasons with at least 50 steals.

Brock was comfortable while making every pitcher and catcher uncomfortable. His pure speed was a threat every time he got on base. And on the grandest stage, Brock was every bit as electric. He was a part of two World Series championship teams with St. Louis (1964 and 1967). He hit .414 with seven steals in as many attempts in the ’67 World Series against Boston. In 21 career playoff games, Brock had a slash line of .391/.424/.655.

Less than two hours from where I live is Southern University, where Brock starred with the Jaguars. His name is a big part of Lee-Hines Field and his legacy is every bit as profound more than six decades later. Brock helped Southern to the NAIA National Championship in 1959.

Part of one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history, Brock went from Chicago to St. Louis in 1964. It turned out to be the best deal the Cardinals made in their prolific history.

Brock went into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1985. How almost 21 percent of voters did not cast a vote for Brock is beyond anyone’s comprehension. The man was a run scoring, base stealing, hitting machine for nearly two decades.

Seaver and Brock faced each other 157 times. They also shared this moment years after their careers ended, included below.

"Hey kid get me a Coke!"

Tom Seaver had a funny encounter with Lou Brock at the 1967 All-Star Game that the two joked about for years. The baseball world will miss them both. pic.twitter.com/NwVqHh93v0

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 6, 2020

Two gentlemen who were not only prolific stars around the same era, but were class personified. They not only played the game at a high level for years – Lou and Tom left an impact that is still felt today by baseball players, managers, and fans alike.

Rest in peace, Sweet Lou.

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The Marlins are looking to make a run at the playoffs this year and are acquiring an All-Star to try to bolster their chances. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that Miami has traded for Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Starling Marte.

Marte was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Diamondbacks in the offseason and has now been moved again within the National League. The 31-year-old is hitting .311/.384/.443, with 23 runs scored and five stolen bases this season.

In return for the outfielder, the Diamondbacks will get some pitching as they are reportedly acquiring Caleb Smith, Humberto Mejia  and Julio Frias. Smith has made 47 starts in his career and has 4.64 career ERA. Mejia made his MLB debut against the Mets on August 7th and had a 5.40 ERA in three starts this year. Frias is a left-handed pitching prospect who last pitched in Low-A ball.

In addition to dealing for Marte, the Marlins have also traded Jonathan Villar to the Toronto Blue Jays. Villar was hitting .272/.328/.360 coming into the game today, and is leading the NL with nine stolen bases. There has been no report yet on what is heading back to Miami in exchange for Villar.

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There is no position in the field of play in baseball that has had less consistency, less continuity and is less of a constant than that of third base for the New York Mets. From Ed Charles to Charlie Neal to Charley Smith, the Mets third base bag has been a merry-go-round, populated by no less than 172 different players who have manned third base in Mets history for at least one game.

Yet, with all the changes that the hot corner has seen, it also is home to arguably the best position player in Mets history.

But before we wax poetic about the recent past of the Mets and all the glory of its most recent captain, a brief look at some of the third basemen of the more distant past is in order, as there have been some very good players that have manned third in Mets history.

It started in 1962 with Felix Mantilla the Opening Day starter. Then, as the decade proceeded, there was little order to the hot corner until Ed Charles took over in 1967. Charles finished with 247 starts at third for New York and his veteran leadership was an important part of the team for most of three seasons.

Wayne Garrett stabilized the position from 1969 until 1976. Although he never had that one breakout season that would place him on the five-best list that follows, his presence was invaluable. If honorable mentions were given to a player for consistency and durability, Garrett would be on the list. His 711 games started at third is the third-most in Mets history. Garrett made a nice contribution in the 1969 NLCS against the Atlanta Braves hitting .385 with a home run, a stolen base, and a 1.236 OPS in 15 plate appearances. History will regard Garrett as one of the Mets better third basemen.

Lenny Randle had solid campaigns in the mid to late seventies, punctuated by a 1977 season where he hit for a  .304 average, five home runs, 27 RBI, 33 stolen bases, and a .383 OBP. Not bad stats considering the Mets only won 64 games in ’77.

In the early eighties, Hubie Brooks was a constant at third for the Mets. He ranks fourth in all-time games played at the hot corner with 516. His 1981 season earns an honorable mention despite being strike shortened. He finished third in 1981 in Rookie of the Year balloting. Brooks is probably best known as the linchpin in the trade that brought Gary Carter to New York.

From 1985 until 1993, Howard Johnson was a Mets fixture at third. His three 30-30 (home runs and stolen bases) seasons rank him fourth on the all-time list. His 835 games played at third ranks him second on the Mets in that category. More on HoJo below as one of his 30-30 seasons made the top five list (although all of them could have).

In the middle of the Johnson era, Ray Knight had an invaluable 1986 campaign, playing mostly at third as HoJo filled in at shortstop and had injury issues. More on Knight’s 1986 season to follow.

No list of Mets third basemen can be complete without mentioning Edgardo Alfonzo. He does not appear in the list below because he was named as having the best two seasons a second baseman has ever had. Much more on Fonzie can be found in that article here.

Alfonzo played third for the Mets for the better part of five years (1995-1998, 2002). His 515 starts rank him fifth on the all-time Mets list for starts at third. He has a handful more starts at second (524) in his career. Alfonzo’s 1997 and 1998 seasons deserve honorable mention here. In 1997, Alfonzo hit .315  with 10 home runs, 72 RBI, 27 doubles and a .391 on-base percentage. A year later, Alfonzo followed up his breakout season with another solid season. He batted .278 with 17 home runs, 78 RBI and 28 doubles.

Robin Ventura took over at third in 1999 for New York after spending a decade with the Chicago White Sox (1989-1998). He had a tremendous first season with the Mets, which will be recounted below. He is known for hitting 18 grand slams in his career, fifth on the all-time list. He missed out on number 19 because of his now famous “Grand Slam Single” he hit against the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the NLCS . A gifted defensive specialist, Ventura appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with his infield mates as the magazine queried as to whether this infield was the best defensive grouping ever.

Then of course comes the franchise leader in games played at third base, David Wright. Not only is Wright the franchise leader in games played at third (1586), he is also the leader in hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, and position-player WAR. From 2006-2008, he was undoubtedly one of the best players in baseball amassing a 19.3 WAR over that stretch . In 2013, he was named the fourth captain of the Mets, joining Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez and John Franco.

Wright, to some still the face of the franchise, played third for over a decade in New York starting in the 2004 season. Wright is not just the greatest Mets third baseman of all time, but the greatest Mets position player of all time. And if it weren’t for a man named Tom Seaver, Wright would be the greatest Met of all.

What follows is the list of the five best campaigns a Met third baseman has ever had. It would be easy to just list a couple of Wright’s seasons and Johnson’s 30-30 seasons. But in the interest of diversity (and raw statistics) only one player appears more than once. Please feel free to list your top five campaigns in the comments section below.

5.  Ray Knight—1986

Perhaps a surprise entry to some, Ray Knight’s 1986 campaign was a special one, culminating in a World Series MVP. Who can forget the image of Knight rounding third and coming home as Mookie Wilson‘s grounder “gets through Buckner.” It still elicits chills to even the most hardened of Mets fans to watch the end of Game 6 against Boston. Ray Knight also was the key cog in Game 7 to nail down the Mets’ second World Championship.

Very little was expected from Knight as the 1986 season began. He hit a desultory .218 in 1985, and was such a non-factor that the Mets tried to trade him to the Pittsburgh Pirates but failed.

Knight changed his batting stance as the 1986 campaign started and this showed immediate results. In April, he hit .306 with six homers and 12 RBIs. Ron Darling commented during a mid-season interview with reporters, “Besides our pitching, it has been Ray Knight’s emergence that has been the difference. He carried us for a long time.”

Knight finished the 1986 season with a .298 average, 11 home runs, 76 RBI, and a .351 OBP. He also won the 1986 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

In the playoffs, Knight had a slow NLCS against his old team, the Houston Astros, but broke out in the World Series. He hit .391 with 5 RBIs to cop the MVP. In Game 6, his single in the tenth inning scored Gary Carter and moved Kevin Mitchell to third. Mitchell scored on a wild pitch, setting the heroics that ensued with Wilson’s at-bat. In Game 7, Knight hit the tie-breaking home run in the seventh off of Calvin Schiraldi to catapult the Mets to an 8-5 win.

Though his time in New York was short, Knight contributed mightily for the Mets in 1986. He will be always be known as a World Series hero.

4.  Robin Ventura—1999

Robin Ventura spent ten years with the White Sox before joining the Mets in 1999. In the American League, he was an All-Star in 1992 and a five-time Gold Glove winner. Ventura’s presence caused a shuffle in the Mets infield. Incumbent third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo was moved to second base to replace the departure of the disappointing Carlos Baerga.

Ventura’s first year in Flushing was his best. He batted .301 with 32 home runs and a career-high 120 RBI. He also had a .379 OBP and a career-high .529 slugging percentage. He won his sixth and final Gold Glove Award that year. It was his first in the National League. He finished sixth in MVP voting.

Ventura’s defensive prowess did not go unnoticed, as his appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated (with the rest of his infield) proved. Were Ventura, Alfonzo, Rey Ordonez and John Olerud the best defensive infield ever, as the magazine suggested? It’s certainly a topic worthy of debate.

On May 20, 1999, Ventura hit a grand slam home run in both games of a double header. He is the only player in MLB to accomplish this feat. His predilection for grand slam hitting did not end with the regular season.

Robin Ventura will forever be remembered as hitting the only “Grand Slam Single” in history. It happened in Game 5 of the NLCS in the 15th inning, as Ventura homered with the bases loaded – but as he rounded the bases, Todd Pratt bulldozed him, hoisting him in the air and preventing Ventura from scoring. The official scorer called the hit a single and Ventura immediately entered Mets lore. Unfortunately, the Mets lost the series with the Braves in Game 6.

Ventura spent only three years in Queens with 1999 his best season by far. He made a lasting impression as a Met despite his brief stay. His lifetime stats were accomplished mostly in Chicago, not as a Met. But his 1999 season belongs on the mantle of Mets history, and it is for this reason that he belongs on this list.

3.  Howard Johnson—1991

With the departure of Ray Knight after the 1986 season, the Mets needed a new everyday third baseman. Howard Johnson capably filled that role and became one of the best hitters in Mets history. He was acquired by New York prior to the 1985 season in exchange for Walt Terrell. His breakout year for the Mets was in 1987 when he hit  .265 with 36 home runs and 99 RBI. He also added 32 stolen bases, as he and Darryl Strawberry became the first Mets to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season. HoJo, as he is affectionately known, even received MVP consideration in 1987. He was the first switch hitter to join the 30-30 club.

Johnson’s best two years were 1989 and 1991. In both seasons, he hit over 30 home runs and stole more than 30 bases, making him a three-time member of the 30-30 club. He ranks fourth all-time in that department. His stats in 1989 were impressive all around. He finished the year with a .287 average, 41 doubles, 36 home runs and 101 RBI. He also had a career-high 41 stolen bases, 104 runs scored, and a .559 slugging percentage. As a result, Johnson won his first Silver Slugger award. He also appeared in his first All-Star game, where he was the starting third baseman.

But HoJo saved his best year for 1991. He became the leader of the offense after Darryl Strawberry left for Los Angeles in December 1990. After a slow April, Johnson exploded in May and continued his torrid hitting right through September, when he became the National Leagues’ Player of the Month. He ended the year ‘winning’ two-thirds of the Triple Crown, leading the league in home runs with 38 and RBIs with 117. Johnson also added 34 doubles, 30 stolen bases, and a .535 slugging percentage. He made his second All-Star team and won his second Silver Slugger. He finished fifth in MVP balloting.

In 1991, Johnson was among the most feared hitters in baseball and was called by many the best hitter in the NL that year. He was dragged down on MVP voting (and on this list) most likely due to the 31 errors he committed at third, a career worst. He was moved to the outfield to compensate for his poor fielding.

HoJo – always a fan favorite – was, for a time, the greatest offensive third baseman the Mets ever had. Ironically, Johnson mentored the player who would surpass him as the greatest third baseman in Mets history, a player named David Wright.

2.  David Wright—2008

The top two places on the list go to the man who’s in the top two on many Mets’ fans lists of greatest Mets ever. David Allen Wright played all or part of fourteen seasons with New York and became the team’s only superstar to play his entire career as a Met. Wright’s close friend Jacob deGrom has a chance to equal that distinction. He is a career .296/.376/.491 hitter and leads the Mets in numerous offensive categories including: RBIs, doubles, total bases, walks, sacrifice flies, hits, times on-base, extra base hits, and WAR.

Wright is a seven-time All-Star (2006-2010, 2012, 2013), two-time Silver Slugger (2007, 2008) and twice a Gold Glove recipient (2007, 2008). On March 21, 2013, Wright was named the team’s fourth captain.

He hit his first walk-off home run on August 7, 2008.

There is so much else Wright accomplished (his prowess in his two World Baseball Classics, for example) that a tome would be needed to properly credit him for his life’s work.

Many seasons could be included in this list, but two stood out early in his career, setting the stage for Wright becoming a dominant force in the NL. In 2008, Wright hit .302 and set career highs with 33 home runs and 124 RBI, which tied the Mets’ RBI record set by Mike Piazza in 1999. He also had 115 runs scored, 189 hits, 42 doubles, 15 stolen bases, a .390 OBP, and a .534 slugging percentage. He won his only Sports Humanitarian Award in 2008. This was, in part, due to the David Wright Foundation that was founded in 2005 to increase awareness about multiple sclerosis and to fund projects and organizations that deal with MS.

1.  David Wright—2007

Wright did not elevate himself as one of baseball’s best players until 2007, when he set a career high by hitting .325 to go along with 113 runs scored, 196 hits, 42 doubles, 30 home runs, 107 RBI, 34 stolen bases, a remarkable career high .416 OBP, and a career high .546 slugging percentage. He became only the third Met to have 30 home runs and 30 steals in a season (Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry were the others). He also won the first of two straight Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards that year. Wright finished fourth in MVP voting in 2007, the closest he would come to earning that distinction.

Although still several years from becoming the team’s official captain, his leadership at even this early stage of his career was remarkable. On the field and off, he showed time and time again the abilities seldom found in such a young player.

“He’s taught a whole generation of Mets how to act,” Mets assistant general manager John Ricco once told reporters.

He also showed a whole generation of Mets fans class, inspiration, and fortitude and that makes him perhaps the greatest position player to ever wear a Mets uniform.

The post Top Five Third Basemen Campaigns in Mets History appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On March 30 in 2001, Mets’ prospect Brian Cole tragically passed away in a car accident. Here’s a post by Joe D. from 2016 remembering the potential star. 

So one of my writers sent me a link to Baseball America asking me to check out last week’s Ask BA feature. A reader posed the following question to  J.J. Cooper:

“Who are the best prospects such as Grant Desme who never made MLB either by choice, injury, accident or other causes?”

Before I even got to Cooper’s response, I was wondering if he was going to bring up the one prospect that immediately came to my mind. And he did.

“It’s highly likely that Desme would have become a future big leaguer if he had continued to play, and he had the ceiling of an impact regular… Limiting it to players who didn’t make the majors Desme isn’t the best prospect to not play in the big leagues this century, but he’s close. As good as Desme could have been, Mets outfielder Brian Cole had a chance to be a truly special player.”

“In 2000 as a 21-year-old, Cole hit .301/.347/.494 with 19 home runs and 69 stolen bases between high Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. He had power, speed, bat control and excellent defense. An exceptional athlete, Cole had turned down a football scholarship to Florida State to play baseball. He wasn’t particularly big (5-foot-9) but he had surprising power. He was a center fielder who could roam from gap to gap.”

Actually, as good as those numbers look consider that he also had 7 triples and 35 doubles that season, a total of 61 extra-base hits in 550 at-bats. Cole also drove in 86 runs while scoring 104 of them. He was named the Mets Minor League Player of the Year, and the buzz was that he could essentially make the jump from Double-A to the Majors in 2001.

But the Mets had no intentions of rushing this prospect as they did with a couple of other top guys before him. Still they invited him to spring training so that Bobby Valentine and his coaches could have a closer look.

I don’t need to remind you how good it felt going into that Spring of 2001. We were coming off that World Series appearance and loss against the Yankees, but things were looking promising. Our 26-year old second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo just had an All Star campaign, batting .324 with 40 doubles, 25 homers, 94 RBI and a .967 OPS. Mike Piazza was coming off a monster season with 38 homers, 113 RBI, a .324 batting average and a 1.012 OPS. And we still had Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile, Al Leiter and Armando Benitez. What could possibly go wrong.

Cole, 22, didn’t fail to impress in big league camp, giving everyone a good look at his rare combination of power and speed. He put together a strong spring training and drew rave reviews from many of the Grapefruit League scouts. But as Spring Training drew to a close and with the Mets Season Opener two days away, tragedy would strike.

On March 30, 2001, after the Mets broke camp and Cole was reassigned to Double-A Binghamton, he and his cousin decided to drive to his parents home in Meridian, Mississippi from St. Lucie.

While trying to avoid hitting a car that swerved into his lane, he lost control of his Ford Explorer, causing it to roll numerous times and he was ejected from the vehicle.

Cole suffered massive injuries to his skull, brain, lungs and upper torso. He reportedly failed to put on his seat belt. His cousin who was wearing his seat belt, survived the horrific crash without any serious injury and was treated and released. Cole was pronounced dead.

However after an investigation and lawsuit filed by the family against Ford, it was determined that Cole did use his seatbelt but sadly it malfunctioned and failed to protect him.

Still, it was a devastating blow to the entire organization and the news shook the franchise to its core.

Former Mets GM Jim Duquette told the Daily News in an interview that he believed Brian Cole was going to be a major-league star. “He probably would have come on the scene right with Jose Reyes in 2003,” Duquette said. “He was a player we were going to build around as an organization.”

Nearly a decade later, Adam Rubin interviewed former Met reliever Heath Bell in 2010. The Padres closer was a teammate of Cole’s in the minors and he remembered telling him that he was going to have a $100 million dollar major-league career.

“I don’t remember him swinging and missing ever,” Bell said. “We used to have conversations. I said, ‘I would never want to face you because I never see you swing and miss.’

“He was one of those guys you wish you saw him play in the big leagues. He was a little guy, but he hit for power. He had speed. And he hit for average.”

In his short time with the Mets, Cole played in 320 games or roughly the equivalent of two seasons. In that span he batted .306 with a .503 slugging percentage and a .850 OPS. He collected 90 doubles, 19 triples and 42 home runs with 193 RBI, 237 runs scored and 135 stolen bases.

His friends, family and teammates said he was your average kid and always happy. He loved football and baseball and enjoyed life. He always addressed Mets coaches and executives as “sir” even when they told him he didn’t have to be so formal.

His talent was undeniable. It makes you wonder how things might have been if he had come up with Jose Reyes and David Wright. Ah, the possibilities…. Such a tragic loss.

The post Remembering Mets Prospect Brian Cole appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Mets center fielder Johneshwy Fargas hit a home run in the top of the eighth inning on Thursday against the Cardinals to tie the game at 7-7. It also finished off the cycle for the speedster.

Fargas hit an RBI triple in the second inning, doubled in the fourth, and singled in the sixth inning. He went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and stole his third base of the spring.

Fargas, 25, was signed to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp back in January. The right-handed hitter slashed .249/.325/.334 with 10 doubles, five triples, and five home runs in 127 Double-A games for the San Francisco Giants last season.

The former 11th round pick led the Eastern League with 50 stolen bases in 2019, he had a league high 23 times caught stealing as well.

The post Mets Outfielder Johneshwy Fargas Hits For Cycle appeared first on Metsmerized Online.