Top 5 NY Mets bench players since 2000 who won fans’ hearts

Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets | Al Bello/GettyImages
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5. José Iglesias

"From 0-for-5 to OMG." Gary Cohen's immortal words in Atlanta perfectly captured the phenomenon of José Iglesias in 2024. Back in 2023, Iglesias signed a minor league deal with the Mets. By the following season, he hit his way out of Triple-A and onto the major league roster. Some teams have a soundtrack to their season, but the 2024 Mets had an actual soundtrack to their season.

His teammates were soon charmed not just by his glove and bat but by his alter ego, Candelita, a Latin pop star with a soon-to-be-released single. In June, after a victory against the Astros, Iglesias performed "OMG" live in front of a jubilant Mets postgame crowd at Citi Field, and the song quickly became the team's anthem and the song of the summer in Queens. The track even became the Mets' celebratory home run signal.

Candelita not only lit up the stage, he backed it up on the field. In 85 games, he hit .337 with a .830 OPS and a .448 slugging percentage. It was with near-universal hope that fans dreamed of a reunion; alas, it was not meant to be. After several meetings, it became clear the team was ready to move on, even if the fans were not.