New York Mets: Greatest defensive teams in franchise history

Believe it or not, the New York Mets have had years where defense was a strength. We look back at the three greatest defensive seasons in team history.

If you ask any fan of the New York Mets what the current number one strength of the team is, almost no one will answer “defense.” Over the past several seasons, the Mets have continuously been plagued by poor team defense at nearly every position.

Their defense has cost them everything from a heartbreaking Subway Series loss to the Yankees (I don’t need to remind anyone about Luis Castillo‘s dropped pop-up, even though I just did) to a pivotal World Series game in 2015.

But enough about their defensive failures for one article. Individual players like Keith Hernandez, Tommie Agee, Carlos Beltran, and David Wright, among others, have all made headlines for winning a Gold Glove award while playing in Flushing. Over their 58-year history, the Mets have also, believe it or not, had several seasons where the defense was a notable strength.

Though the Mets hope to field a defensively competitive team this year, the team’s overall defense will probably not make history in 2020. So let’s look back at a few seasons in Mets history where their team defense made major headlines, for the right reasons.

Number 3: 2007/2008

These two seasons rank among the better defensive seasons in Mets history primarily because of David Wright and Carlos Beltran, who each won a Gold Glove at their respective positions in both years.

So much has already been written about Wright’s place in Mets lore, and I’ll add to the narrative by reiterating that he is, undoubtedly, the best third baseman in franchise history. Wright has had many stellar defensive highlights over the years, including this catch from 2005 that I genuinely think is the greatest catch ever made.

His 2007 and 2008 seasons were no different. They frequently featured his signature play that he never seemed to miss, which I affectionately dubbed the “charging barehand scoop-and-throw to first.”

These two years, he also finished among the league leaders in double plays turned and fielding percentage. Though Wright had lost a few steps by the time he finally hung up his uniform at the end of the 2018 season, he was always steady and reliable at third base.

In a similar fashion, Beltran patrolled center field for the Mets as smoothly as any outfielder they’ve ever had. He made every play look easy, even ones where the ball clearly took an unusual path in the air en route to his glove.

In ’07 and ’08, Beltran was among the top NL outfielders in fielding percentage, several “range factor” stats that all seem to indicate “best range,” defensive WAR, and outfield assists. In addition to winning the NL Gold Glove in 2007 and 2008, Beltran also won the award in 2006, giving him three straight in a Mets uniform.

More intangibly, Beltran’s seemingly effortless ability to perfectly track every ball hit to him made watching him in center field a pleasure throughout his Mets career.

Number 2: 1969

It is probably no coincidence that the 1969 World Championship Mets had several defensive stars on their squad, so I will focus on three in particular: Jerry Grote, Bud Harrelson, and Tommie Agee.

Though the Mets have been blessed with the offensive talents of catchers Gary Carter and Mike Piazza, Mets fans nearly unanimously agree that Jerry Grote is the best defensive catcher in the team’s history. He played for the Mets from 1966-1977, and during that time threw out 39.25% of opposing base stealers. His best year in this department was 1969, where he threw out a whopping 56% of stolen base attempts. For reference, last year J.T. Realmuto, clearly one of the best defensive catchers in today’s game, led the NL by throwing out 47% of attempted base stealers.

Grote also turned 11 double plays at catcher in 1969, good enough for 3rd in the NL.

Unfortunately for him, Grote played at the same time and in the same league as Johnny Bench, who won 10 straight NL Gold Gloves for the Cincinnati Reds from 1968-1977. However, Bench has consistently praised Grote’s defense over the years, at one point saying, “If Jerry Grote were on my team, I’d be playing third base.” With all of that said, 1969 was clearly one of many fantastic years for Grote behind the plate.

Not to be outdone, Bud Harrelson enjoyed an excellent year playing shortstop for the Mets in 1969. He finished top-five among NL shortstops in fielding percentage that year, which continued for the next three years.

Harrelson also had a nearly flawless fielding percentage in the playoffs that year, helping send the Mets to their first World Series title. Though his only Gold Glove award would not come until 1971, Harrelson’s stellar defense in 1969 helped strengthen the team overall.

Finally, Tommie Agee helped round out the Mets’ team defense in 1969. His defense was on full display in the World Series, where his two memorable catches in Game Three rank among the best catches ever in the Fall Classic.

However, he was rock-solid in center field all year for the Amazins, finishing second among NL center fielders in fielding percentage while consistently showing off his incredible ability to track down any ball hit to him. A story about the Mets’ team defense in 1969 would not be complete without him.