NY Mets players we will forget played for the team in 2020
These three members of the 2020 New York Mets won’t have any “Simple Minds” playing hit songs playing in a video montage one day in the future. We will forget about them.
Every year seems to have at least a small number of players on the roster we soon forget were members of the New York Mets. Even in a shortened 2020 season, there’s no exception.
An expanded roster plus some different rules on how teams can handle their players has led to no difference in how many different men have suited up for the Mets this year. Before the year is through, we may even get another name or two.
I don’t know how long it will take us to forget, but there will come a time when we look back at the 2020 season and see these three names pop up. We already knew them before they joined the team and as soon as next year we may forget they ever stopped by.
Brian Dozier
Believe it or not, there was a time when Mets fans wanted to see Brian Dozier start at second base. Back in the immediate post-Daniel Murphy days, Dozier was a guy I recall fans gushing over.
Can we blame them? Although he was never hitting for a superb batting average during his Minnesota Twins days, Dozier had a power stroke not many second basemen did. He hit 28 home runs and was an All-Star in 2015. In 2016, Dozier knocked 42 dingers then followed it up with another 34 in 2017.
Unfortunately for Dozier, that was about the end of his best years. He did play a big role on the 2019 Washington Nationals on their march to the championship. However, he was not the player he was during the prime years.
Dozier came to the Mets in 2020 shortly before the year began. He lasted about a month after hitting .133/.188/.133 in 16 plate appearances.
As limited as he was at the plate and with the glove, the team didn’t see a need to keep him any longer. Dozier was released and someday we’ll forget all about his seven games played with the club.
Billy Hamilton
It’s hard to leave a worse impression than the one Dozier left on Mets fans. Billy Hamilton has asked us to hold his beer as he runs into an out.
Hamilton is yet another guy I remember seeing some talk on Twitter about in regards to who the Mets should add. Those fans were probably stuck a few years in the past. Hamilton hasn’t been very good for quite some time.
What Hamilton can bring to the field are unmatched speed and superb defense. Those two weapons were always what made him a major leaguer. Without them, he’s not getting past Triple-A.
In what might be one of Brodie Van Wagenen’s biggest trade blunders, the Mets panicked and traded for Hamilton early on in the 2020 season. They gave up their 14th ranked prospect to land Hamilton. The results are an eyesore.
In 25 trips to the plate, Hamilton slashed .045/.083/.045. He had just a single hit. What made his tenure in New York so much worse is how poorly he ran the bases. He was caught on at least two occasions making critical outs with his legs.
Like Dozier, Hamilton wasn’t brought in to do much else other than give the Mets a little depth. Considering his performance, the team would have been better off with just about any minor leaguer. Is Tim Tebow still around?
Hamilton’s time with the Mets will be forgotten one day. Hopefully, it comes sooner than later because what he gave the team was nothing but trouble—and a few ill-timed outs.
Eduardo Nunez
Eduardo Nunez was supposed to give the Mets infield depth in 2020. The former All-Star would allow them to mix-and-match their lineups. If we were lucky, he might even hit well.
After just two plate appearances, it looks like Nunez’s triumphant return to New York is already over. He was placed on the 60-day IL in late July. Unless the Mets make a playoff run and they see him as a better option than some of their other players, Nunez is done with the Mets.
The funny thing is, I remember Nunez also being one of those players Mets fans viewed as a good pickup. Well, they didn’t so much think it in 2020. This was back a few years ago when he was a much more productive player.
Nunez’s career was a funny one with many years served as a utility infielder. He actually has only one season with 130+ games played. Injuries have limited him greatly and have done so again for his time as a member of the Mets.
All this club got from him was a pair of plate appearances. He did get a hit, though. Nunez even stole a base!
Early on in 2020, I think a lot of Mets fans had plans for how the team could use Nunez. It seemed like a quiet yet savvy pickup by the club with very little to lose.
We never did get to see what he could possibly do. For his sake, I hope he heals up well and gets a shot somewhere in 2021.
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Which other Mets from the 2020 season do you think we’ll forget all about?