All-time NY Mets lineup of players who also spent time with the Yankees

Outfield

Starting off in left field, we have the all-time stolen base leader, the late Rickey Henderson. Henderson played in 25 MLB seasons, the third most of all-time, and hit .279/.401/.419 with a 132 wRC+. Obviously, you can’t talk about Henderson without mentioning his baserunning. His 1406 stolen bases are a record that will likely stand the test of time. His 1999 season with the Mets, when he stole 37 bases, is one of only three seasons in baseball history where a player swiped at least 30 bags in their age-40 or older season. Henderson’s 2000 season and Davey Lopes in 1985 are the only other years this has happened. The outfielder also played in parts of five years with the Yankees from 1985 through 1989. The team he is most remembered for is the Oakland Athletics, but he also appeared in games for the Toronto Blue Jays, Anaheim Angels, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and LA Dodgers. Sadly, Henderson passed away from pneumonia at just 66 years old on December 20th, 2024.

Carlos Beltran comes in as the center fielder on today’s line-up. Beltran batted .279/.350/.486 with a 118 wRC+. He was one of the biggest power/speed threats in baseball for a long time. With 435 homers and 312 stolen bases, he is one of just five players in baseball history with at least 400 dingers and 300+ SBS. Beltran will likely be the next player to appear in Cooperstown wearing a Mets cap on his plaque, as he spent 839 games in a Mets uniform from 2006 through 2011. He also spent parts of three seasons with the Yankees from 2014 through 2016. The switch-hitter also suited up for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. Had it not been for his involvement with the Astros' sign stealing scandal in 2017, he may have already been in the Hall of Fame.

Curtis Granderson is in right field on this line-up. Granderson is one of the more underrated sluggers of the 2000s. The outfielder is a career .249/.337/.465 batter with a 115 wRC+. Granderson racked up 344 home runs from his debut in 2004 through his final campaign in 2019, the 26th most since the turn of the millennium. Granderson’s first stint in New York was with the Yankees from 2011 through 2013, where he had two 40+ homer campaigns. He then traded in his Yankees jersey for a Mets jersey, as he spent parts of the next five years for the Mets. Granderson also played with the Detroit Tigers, LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Miami Marlins.