Mets 2015 World Series roster: Where are they now?

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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets pitches against the Kansas City Royals during Game Three of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field on October 30, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

New York Mets fans are ecstatic about the 2021 roster and many will say it’s the most excited they’ve been since the Mets’ amazing run of 2015. After eight straight seasons without making the playoffs, the Mets finally broke through in a big way in 2015. They claimed their first division title since 2006 and just their sixth in franchise history.

The Mets won a tight battle in the division series against the heavily favored Dodgers in five games. This momentum would carry the Amazins to a four-game sweep over the Chicago Cubs. In doing so, they became just the third team to sweep the National League Championship Series since the League Championship Series implemented a best-of-seven format in 1985.

The Mets only have four members of their 2015 World Series team that are currently on their 40-man roster for this upcoming season.

The Mets had just claimed their fifth pennant in franchise history and everything seemed to be going their way, yet the result of the World Series left Mets fans in disarray. We now take a look to see where the 25 members of the 2015 World Series roster are now after losing the series in five games to the Kansas City Royals.

Both Catchers from the roster have found success outside of Queens

Catchers:

Travis d’Arnaud

Although Travis d’Arnaud was only able to play in 67 regular-season games, he had his best season with the Mets in 2015. d’Arnaud started all five World Series games and accounted for the only Mets double in the entire series. Soon into the 2018 season, he needed Tommy John surgery and missed the rest of the season. d’Arnaud was released by the Mets in early May of 2019, where he was picked up by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Only five days later was he acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays, where he thrived in the 92 games with them. His successful stint in Tampa Bay led him back to the NL East, in which he signed a 2-year 16 million dollar contract with the Atlanta Braves. He is currently in the second year of his contract and will be a free agent at the end of the 2021 season.

Kevin Plawecki

Plawecki ended up starting 66 games during his rookie season in 2015 due to d’Arnaud missing time with a broken hand and played well enough to make the playoff roster for the Mets. Although Plawecki was on the playoff roster throughout all three postseason series, he never once made an appearance during the 2015 playoffs.

The 2012 first-round draft pick continued to struggle in the next three seasons with the Mets and ended up getting traded to the Cleveland Indians during the 2019 offseason. After 59 games with Cleveland in 2019, Plawecki signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. The change of scenery helped him very much as he played in 24 games and hit at a .341 clip during the shortened 60-game season. This earned him a 1.6 million dollar contract with the Red Sox for the 2021 season, which allowed him to avoid arbitration.

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: Lucas Duda #21, David Wright #5, Daniel Murphy #28 and Wilmer Flores #4 of the New York Mets look on as Matt Harvey #33 is relieved in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game Five of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field on November 1, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Only one of the six infielders on the roster is still active in the majors

Infielders:

Lucas Duda

Duda led the Mets with 27 home runs and 73 runs batted in during the 2015 regular season. He played a huge offensive role in the NLCS vs. the Cubs, where he hit .400 with six runs batted in. However, he will be most remembered for his errant throw to home in the 9th inning of Game 5 that tied the game and sent the game to extra innings.

Duda was traded during the 2017 season to the Tampa Bay Rays where he hit .175 in 52 games. He bounced around between the Royals, Braves, and Twins in 2018 and 2019, where he hit .224 across 146 games in the two combined seasons. He is currently a free agent and has not appeared in a major-league game since July of 2019.

Wilmer Flores

Flores experienced a highly emotional season in 2015, in which he thought he had been traded in late July and then proceeded to hit a walk-off homer two days after. It was the third walk-off hit of the season for the Mets. Although Flores hit .292 in the 1st two postseason series, he only managed one hit in 17 World Series at-bats.

After becoming a free agent at the end of the 2018 season, Flores signed a one-year $4.25 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Flores performed well in the desert, hitting .317 in 89 games. His club option was declined for 2020 and Flores ended up signing with the rebuilding San Francisco Giants. His 1.3 WAR last season was a career-high even though he played in only 55 games. He is currently is entering his second season with the club, with a club option for 2022.

Kelly Johnson

Johnson was a mid-season acquisition from the Braves during the 2015 season, who ended up playing in six different positions over 49 games for the Mets. He had four plate appearances in the World Series and only reached base on a hit by pitch. Johnson would become a free agent after the season was over, and signed back with the Atlanta Braves.

After 49 games with the Braves in 2016, he was traded back to the Mets for his last season in the majors. In his 2016 stint with the Mets, Johnson got on base at a .328 clip and also played at five different positions over 82 games. Johnson retired following the 2016 season, accumulating 11 seasons in the major leagues during his career.

Daniel Murphy

Murphy had a solid regular season in 2015, getting on base at a .322 clip and driving in 73 runs. However, it was Murphy’s postseason play that was one of the most memorable performances in Mets history. Murphy became the first player in MLB history to hit a home run in six straight postseason games. However, his hot streak ended in the World Series as he only contributed three hits in 20 at-bats, and also had two costly errors late in the series.

Murphy’s heroic performance during the 2015 postseason landed him a 3-year $37.5 million contract with the Washington Nationals. After back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2016 and 2017, the Nationals traded him to the Chicago Cubs in the middle of the 2018 season. He then signed a 2-year deal with the Colorado Rockies where he became their starting first baseman. After a struggling 2020 season, Murphy announced his retirement in late January of this year.

Juan Uribe

Uribe came along with Kelly Johnson in the mid-season trade with the Atlanta Braves after starting the year with the Dodgers. He would end up hitting a walk-off single in just his second game with the Mets. Uribe had chest contusions that prevented him from making the NLDS or NLCS roster, but he was healthy enough to replace Matt Reynolds for the World Series roster.

Uribe only received one plate appearance off the bench during the World Series and came through with an RBI single. During the offseason, Uribe would sign a one-year deal with the Cleveland Indians. He would struggle in 73 games with the Indians and would be released in August of that season. Uribe would eventually retire after a 16-season major league career.

David Wright

Team Captain and fan-favorite David Wright suffered a career-changing injury in April of 2015 when he was first diagnosed with spinal stenosis. This caused Wright to miss the majority of the season until his late August return. Wright was eventually able to help get the Mets to the World Series for the first time in his career.

Wright hit his first and only World Series home run in Game 3 of the World Series. He went 2-4 that game with four runs batted in and was the key contributor in the Mets lone win in the series. Wright would battle with injuries for the next three seasons and only played in 39 games between 2016-2018. His final game in a Mets uniform would come during the Mets’ last homestand of the 2018 season against the Miami Marlins.

Wright did serve as an occasional advisor in the Mets front office for Brodie Van Wagenen over the past two seasons before new management has taken over this season.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 31: Michael Conforto /

The Mets 2015 WS Outfield: An impressive rookie, a prized acquisition, veteran presence, and a defensive star. Only one remains on the team.

Outfielders:

Yoenis Céspedes

Céspedes was the prized midseason acquisition for the Mets during the 2015 season when he hit 17 home runs and drove in 44 runs in just 57 games for the Amazins. Céspedes was the spark for the entire offense that helped thrust the team into the postseason. He drove in seven runs over the course of the first two series. However, like most of the team, Céspedes fell off in the World Series. He had just three hits in 20 at-bats with six strikeouts.

Céspedes would continue his success with the Mets in 2016, becoming an All-Star for the second time in his career. Injuries took a toll on him from late 2017 through the 2019 season, including fracturing his right ankle on his ranch while recovering in 2019. He became healthy enough to start on Opening Day again for the Mets in 2020. Yet, he suddenly opted out of the season after just eight games with the Mets, becoming a free agent in the process. He has yet to be signed this offseason and remains a free agent.

Michael Conforto

The lone position player from the 2015 World Series roster who is currently on the Mets 40-man roster, Conforto enjoyed a solid rookie season after a July debut. Although Conforto did not produce well in the NLDS and NLCS, he broke out in a big way in the World Series. He was the Mets best hitter in the World Series and became just the 5th rookie in World Series history to hit multiple home runs in the same game. He also joined Gary Carter as the only other Mets player to accomplish this feat.

Conforto struggled in 2016, hitting at a .216 clip and even earned a demotion to Triple-A. However, from 2017-2020, he has been one of the most consistent outfielders in the majors. He enjoyed a very successful 60-game shortened season, where he had the 6th-highest on-base percentage in the National League for qualified players. Conforto will look to continue to build on this success in 2021, where he will play a pivotal role in determining the Mets’ success this season.

Michael Cuddyer

After 14 seasons with the Twins and Rockies, Cuddyer signed with the Mets as a veteran presence in 2015. He got on base at a .309 pace with 41 runs batted in while playing in 117 regular-season games. He also came off the bench as a pinch hitter in 22 games.

Although Cuddyer had been a previous .338 hitter in his 22 postseason games with the Twins, the 2015 postseason was pretty bleak offensively. In 12 postseason plate appearances for the Mets, he had just one hit while striking out seven times. Cuddyer struck out all three times he came to bat in Game 1, the only game in which he appeared. He retired in December of 2015 after 15 seasons in the major leagues.

Curtis Granderson

The Grandy Man accumulated 5.1 WAR during 2015, the highest total among all position players on the roster that year. He led the team in games played, runs scored, hits, stolen bases, walks, on-base percentage, and total bases. Granderson was a key offensive spark for the Mets throughout the entire postseason, hitting .283 with three home runs and 12 runs batted in over 14 games. All three of those home runs came in the World Series.

Granderson was traded to the Dodgers in August of 2017 where he appeared in the postseason for the third consecutive season. However, he was left off the World Series roster to make room for Corey Seager. He would sign with the Toronto Blue Jays for the 2018 season and eventually was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in late August of 2018. Granderson finished off his career with the Miami Marlins, where he struggled at age 38. He announced his retirement in late January of 2020.

Juan Lagares

Coming off a Gold Glove season, Lagares had always been known for his stellar defense, but in the postseason he was an offensive machine. He hit .348 with seven runs scored across 13 games in all three series. Lagares would slide to the backup outfield role for the Mets between 2016 and 2019 as he suffered numerous injuries throughout those four seasons.

He would then sign a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres for the 2020 season, yet never cracked the major league roster. The Mets picked him up in late July after the Padres released him. He only appeared with the Mets in two games before he was let go by the Mets. He currently is on a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels that includes an invite to Spring Training.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Nieuwenhuis started the 2015 season with the Mets, got traded to the Angels for cash considerations, and then returned to the club just 17 days later as the Mets claimed him off waivers. He wound up on the postseason roster after a combined 64 regular-season games in the two stints with the Mets that season. He appeared in three World Series games either as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement.

Nieuwenhuis would struggle in the seasons to follow with the Brewers and Mariners, playing a majority of 2017 and all of 2018 in the minor leagues. In March of 2019, he signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League, yet quickly retired from baseball in July of that same year.

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 01: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Addison Reed #43 of the New York Mets in action against the Kansas City Royals during game five of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field on November 1, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Royals defeated the Mets 7-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Although pitching was a key success to the Mets’ regular-season success, they faltered during the World Series.

Pitchers:

Tyler Clippard

Clippard was a mid-season acquisition from the Oakland Athletics in late July during the 2015 season. In 32 games with the Mets that season, he had a 3.02 earned run average while saving two games. Clippard did not perform well in the postseason, giving up five earned runs in just 6.2 innings pitched. He would take the loss in Game 4 of the World Series.

After his short stint with the Mets, Clippard would make stops with the Diamondbacks, Yankees, White Sox, Astros, Blue Jays, Indians, and Twins over the next five seasons. He recently signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks with a mutual option for 2022. Clippard is the only active player to have played for 10 different franchises over his career.

Bartolo Colon

Big Sexy was the Opening Day starter for the Mets in 2015 and led the rotation with 194.2 innings pitched, although he did have a 4.16 earned run average during the regular season. Although normally a starter, Colon was used out of the bullpen during the postseason. He appeared in seven games during the postseason including three World Series games. Colon would end up taking the loss in Game 1 of the series against the Royals.

After becoming an All-Star with the Mets in 2016, Colon would struggle in the next two seasons with the Braves, Twins, and Rangers. Over the two-season span, he had a 6.13 earned run average and gave up 60 home runs. Although he was unable to sign with a major-league team during 2019, Colon entered the Mexican League in 2020. Even though the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, Colon still plans on pitching in the league for the 2021 season at age 47.

Jacob deGrom

After taking home the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2014, deGrom continued his big league success in 2015. He went 14-8 with a 2.54 earned run average and 205 strikeouts over 191 innings pitched and earned his first All-Star appearance. deGrom was masterful in the first two rounds of the postseason, winning all three games he started. However, deGrom faltered in the World Series as he gave up four earned runs in five innings during Game 2.

The tough result of the World Series fueled deGrom into becoming a more elite pitcher, and that has clearly been shown on the diamond. Since 2016, deGrom ranks in the Top-3 for strikeouts (3rd), ERA (2nd), ERA+ (3rd), and WAR (3rd). He became the 11th pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young Award in back-to-back seasons when he did so in 2018 and 2019. He is undoubtedly the best bitcher in baseball right now and looks to get the Mets back to the World Series in 2021.

Jeurys Familia

After a solid full rookie season in 2014, Familia moved into the closer role in 2015 after Jenrry Mejia was suspended early in the season. Familia shined in his new role, saving 43 games with a 1.85 earned run average over 76 appearances. He would play a substantial role in the outcome of all three series. Familia saved five games across the first two series while not allowing a run. However, he would falter in the World Series, blowing three saves in Games 1, 4, and 5.

Familia bounced back from the rough World Series outings in the 2016 season, finishing with 51 saves and breaking the Mets single-season record in the process. Familia would again falter in the postseason, giving up a winning 3-run home run in the NL Wild Card game against the Giants. After being traded to the Oakland Athletics in the middle of the 2018 season, Familia came back to the Mets on a three-year deal that expires after this season.

Sean Gilmartin

Gilmartin was drafted by the Mets in the Rule 5 Draft from the Minnesota Twins in 2014. He made his major-league debut during the 2015 season and would pitch extremely well throughout the season. The left-handed rookie had a 2.67 earned run average in 50 appearances, which included an October start. He would be rarely used in the postseason, only making a single appearance in Game 2 of the World Series, where he retired both batters he faced.

Gilmartin’s rookie success would not continue as he bounced between the Mets, Cardinals, Orioles, and Rays over the next five seasons. During that span, he had a 6.09 earned run average in just 31 major-league games, while pitching in over 100 minor-league games. Gilmartin has yet to be signed this off-season and remains a free agent.

Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey, who has no relation to me although I have a brother named Matt, was coming off Tommy John surgery entering the 2015 season. This did not prevent him from having another successful season in which he struck out 191 batters and a 2.71 earned run average in 29 starts. Harvey won both of his postseason starts in the NLDS and NLCS, yet finished with no-decisions in both of his World Series starts.

This included his memorable Game 5 start where he wanted to finish the game, which ended up being very costly and eventually resulted in the Royals clinching the series that night. Harvey was never the same after that, dealing with injuries and a team suspension. From 2016 to 2020, he spent time with the Mets, Reds, Angels, Athletics, and Royals, in which he had a 5.82 earned run average and an ERA+ of just 72. Harvey will get another shot this season to prove he can be of service to a major-league time, signing a minor league deal with the Orioles just a few weeks ago.

Steven Matz

Matz gave Mets fans one of the most memorable debuts in recent history in late June of the 2015 season, in which he gave up two runs in 7.2 innings pitched while also having three hits and driving in four runs. He would finish the season 4-0 with a 2.27 earned run average, which earned him a spot on the postseason roster.

Matz would start one time in each postseason series, including Game 4 of the World Series. He finished the postseason with an 0-1 record and a 3.68 earned run average. After five more seasons with the Mets, Matz was traded this off-season to the Toronto Blue Jays after he struggled mightily in the shortened 2020 season.

Jonathon Niese

Entering his eighth season with the Mets, Niese provided a solid 176.2 innings with a 4.13 earned run during the 2015 season. Like Colon, Niese was used out of the bullpen in the postseason instead of his normal starting pitching role. He faced a single batter in the NLDS and a single batter in the NLCS, striking out both of them.

Niese then appeared in four different World Series games, giving up three earned runs in just 4.2 innings pitched. The Mets would trade him to the Pirates in the offseason for Neil Walker, only for him to be traded back in August of 2016. The next three seasons for Niese would involve bouncing around in the minors between the Yankees, Rangers, and Mariners organizations. He has not officially retired yet his last appearance in the majors was in 2016.

Addison Reed

Reed was a late-season acquisition from the Diamondbacks during the 2015 season. Over 17 appearances with the Mets in the regular season, he had 17 strikeouts and a 1.17 earned run average. Reed was another reliever who could not replicate his success during the World Series. He pitched in all five games, allowing five runs in just 3.2 innings pitched while earning the loss in Game 5.

Reed had one of the best seasons by a reliever in Mets history during the 2016 season, pitching in 80 games while sporting a 1.97 earned run average. Reed was traded to the Red Sox in the middle of the 2017 season. He then signed a two-year contract with the Twins in 2018, although he was eventually was released in May of 2019. He has not officially retired but has not been signed since being released in 2019.

Hansel Robles

In his rookie season, Robles pitched in 57 games while having a 3.67 earned run average and 61 strikeouts. He appeared once in the NLDS, pitching a perfect inning. After no appearances in the NLCS, Robles didn’t allow a base runner in his two innings of work in the World Series.

Robles would remain with the Mets until he was selected off waivers by the Angels in June of 2018. He would last through the 2020 season in Los Angeles before signing a one-year $2 million contract with the Twins for the 2021 season.

Noah Syndergaard

Thor is the fourth rookie pitcher who was on the Mets 2015 World Series roster, along with Gilmartin, Matz, and Robles. He debuted in May of 2015 and finished with a 9-7 record, 166 strikeouts, and a 3.24 earned run average over 24 starts. Although he took the loss in his start in the NLDS, Syndergaard would win his starts in the NLCS and World Series.

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He threw six innings of three-run ball in Game 3 to earn the only win for the Mets during the entire series. Thor continued his success into 2016 when he was named an All-Star. From 2017 to 2020, he had to deal with multiple injuries, including Tommy John surgery before the 2020 season. Syndergaard is currently on track for a return sometime in June of this season.

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