Which Mets Opening Day lineup included the most Hall of Fame players?

In the history of the New York Mets lineups on Opening Day, success hasn’t been measured by how many Hall of Famers in the starting nine.

A fair share of MLB Hall of Famers played for the New York Mets. Not all wear a Mets’ cap in Cooperstown. Nevertheless, their mark on MLB history remains.

Curious about which year’s Opening Day lineup featured the most Hall of Famers, I decided to do a little research.

Richie Ashburn was the first Hall of Famer to start on Opening Day for the Mets. He did so in center field for the 1962 team. Unfortunately for him, he was surrounded by players whose careers failed to land them in Cooperstown.

More from Rising Apple

The Mets didn’t have another Hall of Fame player in the Opening Day lineup until Tom Seaver started for them in 1968. He started every Opening Day for the team through 1977. In 1975, Joe Torre was the starting third baseman. I suppose we should consider this a two-man Hall of Fame operation even though Torre made his way into Cooperstown thanks to his days as a manager; primarily with the New York Yankees. Prior to this, Willie Mays joined Seaver in the starting lineup in 1973.

After Seaver left prior to 1978, the next Hall of Fame player to start for the Mets in game one was, well, Seaver again in 1983. Gary Carter became the starting catcher from 1985-1989, never crossing paths with Seaver in New York. And in all of those years with Carter behind the dish, he was never joined by another future Hall of Fame player—at least for now.

Carter’s last Opening Day start took place in 1989. Eddie Murray logged a pair of starts in the early 1990s, but was all alone as far as Cooperstown-bound players go. The drought of solo Hall of Famers ended in 1999 when Mike Piazza made his first game one start for the organization. He would continue to do so through 2005, giving them a Hall of Famer in the lineup to start each season.

In that first full year with the Mets, Piazza was joined by Rickey Henderson in the outfield. The two also started on Opening Day of 2000.

If you’re keeping score at home, this gives us four seasons with a pair of Hall of Famers in the Opening Day lineup: 1973, 1975, 1999, and 2000. We can add a fifth to the list when the 2002 Mets included Piazza and Roberto Alomar.

Much to the surprise of anyone who only sees the team’s record, the 2003 Mets included three Hall of Fame players in the first lineup of the season. Piazza and Alomar were joined by Tom Glavine to kick off the season. The 66-95 team was ridiculously bad. Yet somehow, they managed to employ a trio of baseball legends.

As you can surmise, all were near the end of their careers.

Piazza’s final Opening Day start for the Mets in 2005 included appearances by Pedro Martinez and potential future Cooperstown-bound outfielder Carlos Beltran. If Beltran does make it into the museum, this will tie a record. The three were also joined by David Wright in his very first Opening Day start. Wright’s chances at baseball immortality are a bit slimmer due to the hampering injuries later in his career. At least for now, the 2005 lineup remains a big “maybe” to tie the team’s record.

More recent seasons offer little in hopes of beating the record set by the 2003 Mets. Wright is still the last man to start on Opening Day with a good shot at the Hall of Fame. Noah Syndergaard is young, but his two Opening Day starts didn’t include Wright or anyone else we could deem worthy.

The 2019 Mets may include one future Hall of Fame player in their Opening Day lineup. Second baseman Robinson Cano could one day have his bust on display. However, given his suspension for PEDs, that road ahead could be a rocky one.

30 Greatest Mets of All-Time. Next

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

As of now, the 2003 Mets who lost 15-2 on Opening Day to the Chicago Cubs own the record for the most Hall of Fame players in the first lineup of the season. It’s about all they did well.

Home/New York Mets History