They didn’t qualify for a batting title and yet in the short time they were with the New York Mets, they made some loud thunder at the plate. We all know how ridiculous John Olerud’s .354 batting average in 1998 is. What about those shorter performances either due to a late-season promotion, injury, or other factors?
Five insane Mets player performances in a 300 or fewer plate appearance season
Gregg Jefferies - 1988
Gregg Jefferies was called up in 1988 and your rookie cards never had more value. His 180 wRC+ in 118 plate appearances assured everyone he was truly the next great thing. Jefferies batted .321/.364/.596 with 6 home runs. The 118 plate appearances was so low it allowed him to qualify for the Rookie of the Year in both 1988 and 1989. He finished sixth in 1988 and third in 1989 with much less amazing numbers.
Rico Brogna - 1994
No wonder there’s a podcast named after him. In 1994, Rico Brogna had 138 plate appearances, 7 home runs, and a .351 batting average. He slugged .626 for the Mets in the limited action while playing memorably solid defense at first base.
Mike Jacobs - 2005
Mike Jacobs looked like the league’s next great power hitter. His 2005 season included only 112 trips to the plate, but 11 home runs and a .310/.375/.710 slash line. Falling just shy of Jefferies’ 180 wRC+ at 179, his more impressive number was the .400 ISO which would be unsustainable for most humans. As an example, Pete Alonso’s .323 ISO is the best of any player in Mets history with qualified at-bats.
Yoenis Cespedes - 2015
You know where you were for every Yoenis Cespedes at-bats in 2015. He had 249 plate appearances for the Mets and hit 18 home runs while driving in 44. His numbers aren’t quite as high as some others on this list. The difference is each of his hits seemed to come at the right moment.
Dominic Smith - 2020
Everything in 2020 deserves an asterisk, including your student loan payments. Dominic Smith took advantage of the addition of the DH to the National League with more regular playing time. His 199 plate appearances technically qualified among league leaders that year because everyone only had 60 games to plate with. He hit 10 home runs while slashing .316/.377/.616. It tricked the Mets into thinking there was more there. As they learned in 2021, there really wasn’t.
