The New York Mets have had an odd variety of superstars, consistent cogs, placeholders, and prospects behind the plate over the course of the team’s 59-year run.

While the catcher position hasn’t changed by definition over baseball’s hundred-plus-year history, the expectations and sources of value from the position have evolved over time and will continue to do so.

Jerry Grote was the Mets’ first true regular behind the plate, and the fond memories he and the rest of those late-60s, early-70s Flushing giants brought to that generation of fans will live on forever. As will the San Antonio, Texas native’s .282/.357/.349 batting line over his first All-Star season in 1968.

Unfortunately for Jerry, the Metsies have had some terrifically productive seasons from behind the plate and his career campaign of ’68 is relegated to an honorable mention in this compilation. Now, let’s get to it!

1) Mike Piazza — 2000

When Mike Piazza was traded to the Mets from the Florida Marlins in May 1998, the cornerstone of an era in Queens was set into place.

After his outstanding 1999 season (.303/.361/.575, 40 HR, 124 RBIs, 131 wRC+, 4.5 fWAR), leading New York to its first postseason appearance since 1988 Mikey followed it up with a year for the ages in 2000.

Over 136 games (633 plate appearances), Piazza nearly matched his previous year’s tater tally, blasting 38 homers with 113 RBIs, 26 doubles, a .324/.398/.614 slash line, and 153 wRC+, carrying the Mets — on his back at times — to their first National League pennant and World Series appearance since 1986.

 

2) Gary Carter — 1985

Similar to the energy and credibility Piazza brought to New York nearly 25 years later, Gary Carter did the same for the ready-to-burst mid-80s Mets.

After spending the first 11 seasons of his career in Montreal (.272/.345/.461, 215 HR, 794 RBIs, 123 OPS+), the Fullerton, California product was acquired by New York’s no-nonsense GM, Frank Cashen for a package centered around Mets third baseman Hubie Brooks in December 1984.

Carter’s walk-off home run on Opening Day versus the Cardinals in 1985 set the tone for what was to be — by wins above replacement (FanGraphs) — the Mets’ highest fWAR season by a catcher (6.7).

Over 149 games, The Kid hit .281/.365/.488 with 32 home runs, 17 doubles, 100 RBIs, 139 wRC+, and led the NL in putouts by a catcher with 797, earning his eighth of 11 career All-Star nods.

3) Todd Hundley — 1996

Todd Hundley paid his dues. After making his MLB debut for the Mets in 1990 at 20 years old, the Illinois native won the starting backstop job in 1992, usurping the yipful one, Mackey Sasser.

An injury-plagued but prosperous 1995 (.280/.382/.484, 15 HR, 11 2B, 51 RBIs in 91 games) cleared the path for Hundley to set the franchise high water-mark in home runs the following season.

Over 153 games in 1996 — a career-high — Hundley hit a team-record 41 home runs (matched by Carlos Beltran in 2006 and broken by Pete Alonso in August 2019) with a .259/.356/.550 batting line and 134 wRC+.

4) Mike Piazza — 2001

As an encore to his ridiculous 2000 season, Piazza put up video game numbers once again in 2001, hitting .300/.384/.573 with 36 homers, 29 doubles, and just 70 strikeouts over 593 plate appearances.

From his acquisition in 1998 through the end of 2001, the Pennsylvania native slashed .317/.388/.591 with 137 homers, 407 RBIs, 147 wRC+, and a 12.9% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate.

Piazza picked up his eighth NL All-Star appearance that season and, oh, and he hit a pretty big home run in mid-September at Big Shea.

5) Paul Lo Duca — 2006

Acquired from the Marlins in December 2005 coming off his third career All-Star Game appearance, the Brooklyn-born, Arizona product brought stability to the position after watching Piazza’s Mets career wind down to cringe-worthy results — at least behind the plate.

Over 124 games ( in 2006, Lo Duca hit .318/.355/.428 — leading the team in batting average — with five homers (including a huge one at Milwaukee in May), 39 doubles (17th in NL), 80 runs scored, and 49 RBIs — mostly out of the two-hole (118 games), picking up his fourth and final All-Star nod.