You probably don’t remember much from the 2010 season, and that’s because it wasn’t really that memorable.

The Mets finished 79-83 and finished four in the National League East for the second year in a row.

Playoff aspirations had mostly dissipated, as the team was in a strange limbo period between their playoff chases a couple years prior and an inevitable rebuild.

At season’s end, the team would fire manager Jerry Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya and replace them with Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson, respectively, thus attempting to start a new era in Queens.

However, the team did have some bright spots, as first base prospect Ike Davis debuted and gained the love of the fans with his exciting power and daring catches that thrust him over the dugout railings.

David Wright made his fifth consecutive All-Star Game, while Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey gave them 7.3 fWAR out of the rotation.

Perhaps the most underrated season, however, goes to Angel Pagan who put up 4.9 fWAR in his first true full season in the bigs.

The skinny

Pagan actually began his professional career in the Mets organization after being drafted by them in 1999, and spent six years in their system before being purchased by the Chicago Cubs in 2006.

The outfielder debuted that year with the Cubs and appeared in 148 total games with them between the 2006 and 2007 seasons. While he didn’t set the world ablaze (75 wRC+, 0 DRS and 85 wRC+, 4 DRS, respectively), he gained the interest of the Mets who reacquired him prior to the 2008 season.

Pagan began the 2008 season as the Mets’ starting left fielder in place of the injured Moises Alou, but was relegated to a reserve role when Alou came back. He then injured his shoulder making a diving catch into the stands which led to him having season ending surgery in July of that year.

In 2009 he again spent time on the disabled list, but was able to return and be a strong contributor for the team, putting up a 121 wRC+ and 2.8 fWAR, the highest by far of his career.

Then in 2010, he busted out. While Gary Matthews, who was acquired that offseason from the Los Angeles Angels for reliever Brian Stokes, earned a starting role in the outfield to begin the season, Pagan quickly leapfrogged him as Matthews got off to a putrid start.

There was no looking back for Pagan, who appeared in 151 games, launched 11 home runs and drove in 69 runs, had a 108 wRC+ and .334 wOBA and had 19 DRS and a 16.1 UZR in the outfield that season.

His season is also highlighted by his triple play that happened during a game with the Washington Nationals on May 19.

What happened next?

Pagan was unable to replicate the success from his 2010 season, putting up just 0.9 fWAR in 2011 in 123 games. After the season, he was shipped off to the San Francisco Giants for reliever Ramon Ramirez and outfielder Andres Torres.

One of the first moves, and perhaps worst moves, of Sandy Alderson’s tenure as general manager, the idea was to have Torres replace Pagan and get some extra production from Ramirez who was a right-handed reliever who was tough on lefties.

Unfortunately for the Mets, the deal didn’t pan out. Pagan appeared in 154 games for the Giants in 2012 and produced 4.6 fWAR as a key contributor in their World Series championship team. Torres and Ramirez put up 1.6 fWAR total and neither played more than one season for the Mets.

The Puerto Rico native ultimately remained with the Giants for five seasons before hanging up his cleats after the 2016 campaign.

Pagan quick hits

  • Led the Mets in fWAR in 2010 with 4.9 in front of Santana (3.9), Dickey (3.4), Wright (3.4) and Davis (2.9).
  • Had a higher fWAR in 2010 than Pete Alonso did in 2019 (4.8).
  • Part of one of the franchises 11 triple plays.
  • Was one hit away from the cycle three separate times.