The best defensive NY Mets player in team history to never win a Gold Glove

A barstool debate as to who the best defensive player in New York Mets history is probably happening right now somewhere. Whether you’re reading this in the wee hours of the morning or late at night, two buddies are talking all-time Mets topics and arguing about whether Rey Ordonez played shortstop better than Bud Harrelson.

Each won a Gold Glove during their time with the Mets. Statistically, they measure as the first and third best defensive players in Mets history when looking at Defensive WAR. Harrelson at 13.7 and Ordonez at 10.2 helps classify them as all-time defensive Mets players. No one will probably ever catch Harrelson. Ordonez being with the Mets for far fewer years and not being so far away is a testament to his brilliance.

In the middle of them is a guy who played his position amazingly well as a defensive player and yet no Gold Gloves were ever thrown his way. Defensive metrics are relatively new and in his time the Gold Glove went to a player based on reputation sometimes over actual results. Poor Jerry Grote. He is the best defensive Mets player without a Gold Glove.

Jerry Grote is one of the best defensive Mets players in history and the Gold Glove honor never came

Blame it on Johnny Bench. From 1968 through 1977, no one else won the Gold Glove for an NL catcher than him. Grote established himself as an All-Star caliber catcher in 1968 and, sadly, his last season as a starter behind the plate would take place in 1976. He was gone from the Mets by mid-1977 as well.

Known for his ability to defend the position, surely there was at least one season where the statistics back him up as the better option over Bench. His career high-water mark in dWAR was in 1969 for the championship Mets at 2. Although it doesn’t tell the full story of defensive prowess, Bench was at 1.5.

Grote had a caught stealing percentage of 56.3% that season. Bench was at an insane league-best 57.1% which was more calculable back then, possibly giving him the edge. Grote had a superior Rtot at 11 versus the 4 posted by Bench. Like dWAR, this number wasn’t readily available to help Grote win some personal hardware back in 1969.

What makes Grote an even more impressive story as a defensive player is how far he came. In his lone full season with the Houston Astros in 1964, he allowed a league-high 51 stolen bases while starting only 88 games. Negatives marked many of the defensive results for him behind the plate until the 1967 season when the Mets put their faith in him.

Handling a young and elite pitching staff headline by Tom Seaver should’ve given him a nudge over Bench at least once, the 1969 season being the peak expression of his defensive talents. Voters might’ve had a “we’ll get you next time” kind of mentality and instead of giving it to him, they lazily awarded the Gold Glove to Bench every opportunity they had.