Mets Movie Magic: Casting a film about the upcoming 2020 season

Who would star in a movie about the 2020 New York Mets? We’re putting together a cast list.

Though we are less than 100 days away from 2020 New York Mets baseball, it’s time to admit that late December is known more for Oscar buzz than for home runs and strikeouts. Baseball and movies have a rich history, with many beloved films such as Field of Dreams, A League of Their Own, and Bull Durham using America’s pastime as a backdrop.

With that in mind, perhaps the 2020 Mets season will be so legendary that it will warrant an entire feature film. Hollywood is filled to the brim with talented actors, and the Mets, at their best, operate with a type of magical poeticism that not even Hollywood could script (see: Dom Smith’s season-ending walk-off). In this scenario, who could conceivably play the Mets players in a movie?

We all know that Noah Syndergaard and Chris Hemsworth are already indelibly linked, so just for fun, let’s take a look at four other Mets players and their hypothetical Hollywood counterparts.

Pete Alonso – Chris Pratt

This pair seems like a no-brainer. Pratt is known for playing goofy, lovable characters in movies, and Alonso has perfectly stepped into the role of the fun-loving Polar Bear on the Mets. Pratt even has experience in baseball movies, having played Oakland A’s first baseman Scott Hatteberg in the 2011 film Moneyball.

Pratt and Alonso also share similar interests outside of their day jobs, with both frequently posting about their interests in hunting and fishing on social media. Even if Pratt isn’t planning on starring in another baseball movie, it seems he and Alonso would be good friends.

Marcus Stroman – Kevin Hart

In only a few short months as a Met, Stroman has established himself as one of the most energetic, emotional players on the field at any time. He is also generally one of the most hyped-up players in the dugout. Given that Hart tends to immediately inject energy into any scene he’s in, he would be a good choice to play Stroman in a movie.

I can’t compare Stroman and Hart without addressing an obvious elephant in the room: both are known for being short. Stroman is 5’8”, certainly not short for the average person but definitely below the 6-foot height of the average major league pitcher. And Hart is only 5’4”. In both personality and the objectively superficial measure of height, Stroman and Hart match up well.

Jacob deGrom – Hugh Jackman

For someone to accurately portray deGrom in a movie, they have to live up to a lot. deGrom is known for his immense success, calm demeanor, killer instinct on the mound, and utterly unproblematic reputation among his teammates and the media. Though there are a few actors who could fit this description, Jackman comes to mind as a good example of a beloved, unproblematic actor who everyone loves working with.

Though Jackman has had many varied on-screen roles in his career, he may be best known for playing Wolverine. deGrom may not have a famous superhero alter ego, but he does possess an incredibly competitive nature and intimidating stare while on the mound. In several respects, Jackman could definitely live up to the billing of portraying the Rookie of the Year and two-time Cy Young award winner.

Brandon Nimmo – Tom Holland

In his breakout 2018 season, Nimmo acquired the nickname of “the happiest man in baseball.” Mets fans are very clear about why they appreciate Nimmo: he runs hard to first, smiles a lot, and enjoys a wholesome reputation (Nimmo is well-documented as a religious man who refuses to type #LFGM, sticking to the safe-for-work #LGM on social media).

In that same vein, Holland has an extremely likable, smiley personality. His Peter Parker character also has a similar people-pleasing nature to Nimmo’s persona in SNY videos. Though Holland’s British accent and Nimmo’s Wyoming drawl are distinctly different, their on-camera personalities are alike enough that Holland could certainly portray Nimmo well in a hypothetical baseball movie.

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If the Mets play their cards right in 2020 and create some real-life baseball magic, perhaps Hollywood will come calling with a cast similar to this one. Mets fans can only hope that next season is so memorable that fans will want to relive it over and over again.