3 NY Mets players who redeemed themselves after a bad first year in Flushing

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Many New York Mets fans know by now that when the front office brings in a new acquisition there is always a chance that the player may or may not pan out under the bright lights of New York City. There are multiple factors that play into that narrative including the media, the passionate fans, and the sky-high expectations that sometimes make it impossible for a player to get acclimated immediately.

On the other side of the spectrum, it's always tough for players to change cities as it comes with new environments, new teammates, and new routines, but it seems to be especially difficult for players when transitioning to New York City. We've seen many flounder under the bright lights, and we've seen players succeed as well, especially when they have had time to get their footing under them.

There are three players who came to Flushing with almost impossible expectations to meet in their first season with the Mets, but they somehow figured it out and turned it around in their second season with the club. This is a bit of a feel-good list and I wanted to take a look at three of those players who turned their first-year misfortunes in Flushing into a productive rebound season and began meeting expectations.

1) NY Mets player who redeemed himself: Carlos Beltran

The first player on this list is none other than arguably the greatest center fielder in team history in Carlos Beltran. It's a shock to hold Beltran in such high regard and yet have his presence on this list but Beltran was put into such an unrealistic position his first season in Queens that many were calling him a bust a first year into his contract.

Beltran at the time signed the biggest contract in franchise history prior to the 2005 season as he signed a seven-year $119 million deal in what seemed he would be the poster child for a new era of baseball kicking off in Queens. Unfortunately, in 2015 he would battle a nagging quadriceps injury and then would suffer one of the ugliest collisions in baseball history with Mike Cameron that resulted in him suffering a concussion and two broken cheekbones.

Despite the injuries, Beltran would put up a .266 batting average with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs which was a far cry from the player that Mets fans thought they were getting when the Mets shelled out over $100 million for his services. Beltran was also coming off a historical postseason run with the Houston Astros in which he hit .435 with 8 home runs and 14 RBIs.

While the Mets didn't get the potential 40/40 player they thought they were originally receiving in 2005, in 2006 he would bounce back in a huge way and slug 41 home runs with 116 RBIs with a .275 batting average, and become a huge part to the Mets successful NLCS run that season. The rest is history from there as Beltran's elite defense and consistent bat would etch him into the Mets' hearts for years to come.

2) NY Mets player who redeemed himself: Edwin Diaz

When the Mets had acquired Edwin Diaz from the Seattle Mariners in a massive blockbuster trade in December 2018 that also brought back second basemen Robinson Cano there was much skepticism about the deal originally. Not for the fact that the Mets were acquiring Diaz who was coming off of one of the greatest seasons for a reliever in baseball history, but for the fact that the Mets were parting with their top prospect at the time in Jarred Kelenic who was considered one of the best in the game.

Diaz who had produced 57 saves with a 1.96 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 73.1 innings the previous season with the Mariners struggled mightily in his first season in Flushing. It was an utter disaster for Diaz in 2019 as he allowed a Major League record of 15 ninth-inning home runs and had a ballooned ERA of 5.59 in which many Mets fans relentlessly booed Diaz off the mound more times than I can remember.

Was Diaz simply damaged goods or were the lights just too bright for him upon his first season in Flushing? Well, Diaz responded in a big way during the shortened 2020 campaign in which he recorded a 1.75 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 25.2 innings. Diaz would use that season with no fans in the seats as a building block to getting where he is today.

Diaz is now arguably considered the best reliever in all of baseball and just inked a 5-year $102 million deal with the Mets this offseason which will lock him in as the Mets' closer for the next. half-decade. It all has worked out for Diaz and the Mets after his disastrous first season and will be a huge part of the Mets' success for a long time.

3) NY Mets player who redeemed himself: Francisco Lindor

The latest blockbuster trade that the New York Mets made was back in January of 2021 in which they acquired star shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco from the then-Cleveland Indians in a massive deal, that also sent current shortstop Amed Rosario, Andres Giménez a pair of prospects back to Cleveland.

As noted with the previous two players, the expectations surrounding Lindor were sky-high as Lindor was arguably regarded as the best shortstop in baseball at the time and would wind up signing a massive 10-year $341 million extension prior to the start of the 2021 season. That number would easily become the biggest contract in Mets history which would raise the stakes in Lindor's first season in Flushing.

Lindor largely struggled during his first campaign in Flushing which resulted in consistent booing by Mets fans, but it seemed things started to turn around after the Mets acquired one of his best friends in Javy Baez at the Trade Deadline. Unfortunately, Lindor would be roped in with Baez during the entire thumbs-down controversy which would create a further divide between Lindor and Mets fans.

However, his big three-home run night against the New York Yankees on Sunday night baseball on September 12th seemed to turn the narrative of Mets fans and Lindor seemed to begin being fully embraced. Lindor wound up ending the season with a .230 batting average to go along with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs.

In 2022, Lindor had one of the greatest seasons for a shortstop in team history as he helped lead the Mets to a playoff birth and hit .270 with 26 home runs and 107 RBIs. He broke the Mets' single-season home run record by a shortstop as well as eclipsed his career high in RBIs.

Lindor is expected to be a large part of the Mets' success for the next decade and building off his successful 2022 campaign will go a long way to becoming one of the greatest players to don a Mets uniform.

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