Nothing makes a general manager feel better than when one of his signings becomes an All-Star in year one. Forget about how the 10-year contract ages. An All-Star appearance in year one buys you loads of time. The New York Mets have, somewhat quietly, been pretty successful at nabbing an All-Star in free agency in recent years.
Even though Juan Soto was snubbed in 2025 and several other notable additions didn’t participate in the Midsummer Classic in year one of their deal, recent history shows a strong enough trend.
What about going five deep? It’s these half-decade’s worth of players who were the most recent free agents to represent the Mets in the All-Star Game just a half-season into their Flushing tenure.
The five most recent Mets free agent signings who were All-Stars in year one
Kodai Senga - 2023
Technically a rookie as well, Kodai Senga was an All-Star in the ill-fated 2023 Mets season. What’s a bit crazy about it is his first-half wasn’t as good as his second. Senga was 7-5 with a 3.31 ERA at the time of the All-Star Break. He finished strong, going 5-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 13 starts after. As for the All-Star Game, he didn’t play.
Starling Marte - 2022
Starling Marte signed a lucrative 4-year deal with the Mets heading into the 2022 season. It didn’t age so well, but year one was terrific. He hit .295/.345/.458 with 9 home runs in the first half. His second half wasn’t much different except he only played in 41 games. Marte, like Senga, wouldn’t appear in the actual All-Star Game.
Taijuan Walker - 2021
Just one year earlier, another free agent we remember for something other than being an All-Star was one. Taijuan Walker, as a late replacement for Jacob deGrom, was awarded with the honor of representing the Mets. His first-half numbers were pretty good, going 7-2 with a 2.66 ERA. Everything fell apart in the second-half. He was 0-8 with a 7.13 ERA. He pitched in the game, allowing a Mike Zunino solo home run in an otherwise clean inning.
Yoenis Cespedes - 2016
Although not new to Mets fans, Yoenis Cespedes was a free agent signing who became an All-Star. He hit .302/.372/.583 with 21 home runs in the first half of the season. His second-half was much less impressive, battling through injuries along the way. He batted .246/.327/.450 with 10 home runs in the final months. Elected to the starting lineup but unable to play, he was oddly enough replaced by Starling Marte on the roster.
Francisco Rodriguez - 2009
We have to go way back for our fifth one. In 2009, closer Francisco Rodriguez was in year one of his deal with the Mets and he made it to the All-Star Game. He replicated the Walker situation. His first-half included a 1.90 ERA and 23 saves. In the second-half, K-Rod’s ERA ballooned to 6.75. He saved 12 more games. He pitched a perfect ninth inning for the NL in their 4-3 loss to the AL.
