4) Ron Hunt – 3.2 in 1964
It has been said that Ron Hunt was the first star player in Mets history. Whether you agree or not, he led the 1964 Mets with a 3.2 WAR. The sophomore All-Star had one of the best seasons of his career and it didn’t even include a ton of hit by pitches.
Hunt hit .303/.357/.406 for the 1964 squad while knocking 6 home runs and 19 doubles. Rated as an average defender according to WAR with a 0.0 total, it was all about his bat this season.
3) Hubie Brooks – 2.6 in 1981
The last of our asterisks go to Hubie Brooks and his 1981 performance. With only 105 games on the schedule due to the player’s strike, Brooks had a mountain to climb when it came to adding to statistics which require time and opportunity.
In his first full season, Brooks batted .307/.345/.411. Although he hit only 4 home runs, Brooks did manage to leg out 21 doubles. His 2.6 WAR was quite low. However, considering how poorly his teammates performed, it’s no surprise.
2) Frank Thomas – 2.5 in 1962
The original Mets slugger of 1962, Frank Thomas, led the inaugural Mets with a 2.5 WAR. Narrowly avoiding the first or last place spot on this list thanks almost exclusively to home runs, Thomas powered his way into franchise history.
Thomas hit 34 home runs for the 1962 Mets with a rather average slash line of .266/.329/.496. Because defense matters a lot with WAR, his total got dragged down a bit despite some impressive power numbers. Thomas was an aging veteran whose fielding skills didn’t match his thick bat.
1) Johnny Lewis – 2.4 in 1965
Who doesn’t remember Johnny Lewis? In what became the only full big league season of his life, Lewis led the 1965 Mets with a 2.4 WAR.
Lewis accomplished this with 15 home runs and a .245/.331/.384 batting line. It is no shock to see yet another team from the 1960s have a representative on this list. Years before WAR was a thing, players on those teams were posting some of the lowest team-leading totals in franchise history. Lewis did it better than anyone else.
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