NY Mets legend was the victim of the biggest Silver Slugger robbery in team history

Since its inception in 1980, the New York Mets have had more than their fair share of Silver Sluggers. In total, 14 players have taken home the hardware to honor the best hitter at their position 20 times.

Even with some pretty solid representation, one can look back through history and find other deserving seasons. After winning the award in 1999, Edgardo Alfonzo put together arguably a better season in 2000, but didn't come home with the hardware. That doesn't classify as a robbery, though, as the man he lost to, Jeff Kent, was also honored with NL MVP honors.

Another prime example was Todd Hundley's 1996 campaign when the backstop launched a nearly unheard of 41 homers. He'd of course lose to his eventual successor, Mike Piazza. No shock there.

But in 2013, a Mets legend and fan favorite was legitimately robbed in what proved to be his last real chance to take home the award.

Pedro Alvarez of the Pittsburgh Pirates is responsible for the biggest Silver Slugger robbery in Mets history

Manning the hot corner for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013, Santo Domingo-born, New York-raised Pedro Alvarez would be bestowed with the Silver Slugger award for third base. His candidacy hinged on his 36 big flies and 100 RBIs, which clearly caught the eye of the voters.

That was about all that was good for Alvarez, however. He'd hit just .233 on the season while striking out a league-leading (and Pirates' franchise record) 186 times. Throwing in a paltry 48 walks, he'd finish the season with a sub-.300 on-base percentage, coming in at .296. His OPS was .770, about 15% better than league average.

One has to wonder if that was good enough to win the award for the best hitter at third base; what was going on with National League third basemen? It's true, 2013 was not a good year for offense from the hot corner, but there was another alternative who didn't play for the Mets either.

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals finished with a .275/.344/.465 line, 26 homers, 79 RBI, and an .809 OPS. He no doubt put forth a better case than Alvarez despite not crossing the 30-homer and 100-RBI plateaus, but he also wasn't the correct answer as to who should have won the award.

The correct answer is a fellow who used to play third base for the Mets, whom you may have heard of — David Wright. Wright slashed .307/.390/.514. His .904 OPS and 156 OPS+ blew Alvarez's marks of .770 and 115 out of the water. He easily cleared Zimmerman as well and was far and away the true best hitter at the hot corner in 2013.

So why didn't he win? Well, Wright only tallied 18 homers and 58 RBI by virtue of playing just 112 games. Captain America suffered a rib injury in preparation for the World Baseball Classic, but what really affected his season, and ultimately his candidacy, was a hamstring injury he suffered down the stretch that kept him out for the final seven weeks of the season.

That was Wright's last true shot to win the award. While he took home two earlier in his career, he was more than deserving in 2013. The following year, he'd post just a .698 OPS in 134 games. The rest of the way, from 2015 until his spinal stenosis diagnosis forced him to hang up his spikes in 2018, he'd play just 77 games total.

Hindsight is 20/20, but Wright certainly deserved to have his last signature season honored, not just for what he meant for the Mets, but what he meant for the game as a whole. Even those who voted for Alvarez in 2013 must recognize today how badly Wright was robbed.