Top 6 Mets outfield trios in franchise history

Outfield trios can make or break a season. I find them fascinating because, unlike an infield, no single position really has a designated purpose. We’ve seen it plenty throughout New York Mets history, too. Center fielders aren’t always the light-hitting ones. Left fielders don’t always provide the most power.

After searching through Mets history, I thought it might be interesting to come up with the best outfield trios in franchise history. Because the organization has succeeded with platoons plenty over the years, I found myself adding a couple of pairs in as well.

Considerations for this list included everything from production to how long the trio stayed together. Some of the trios on this list only lasted a short time. Because of that, they may not rank as high as they could have.

6) NY Mets Best Outfield Trios: Michael Conforto, Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson

Imagine if these three stayed together longer than a couple of months. Brought to us in 2015, this Mets outfield trio included three very different players who came together at different points in their career to make up one of the best outfields in club history.

In left field, we have rookie Michael Conforto. In center field, we have 2015 Yoenis Cespedes. And finally, over in right field, there’s the veteran of the group, Curtis Granderson.

Together, these three provided the Mets with an offensive force from all angles. Most notably, they hit for power and were terrific at getting on base.

Only because it lasted for such a short period of time is this not ranked higher. While we did experience it to a lesser extent in 2016, things weren’t quite the same.

5) NY Mets Best Outfield Trios: Moises Alou, Carlos Beltran, Shawn Green

I was torn about this entry. I needed to get Carlos Beltran in there somehow. Because he wasn’t always matched up with the greatest of Mets outfielders, I wasn’t quite sure where to go.

Then it hit me: the 2007 Mets. Even if things ended poorly, the outfield trio, as brief as they were together, was a big part of the reason why they were contenders.

From left to right, we have Moises Alou, the aforementioned Beltran, and the 2006 trade acquisition, Shawn Green. This was the season where Alou hit .341/.391/.524 in a little more than half a season—87 games. It’s really a shame the Mets didn’t get more of the Moises experience.

While Beltran didn’t have his best season in New York in 2007, he was pretty terrific. This campaign included a .276/.353/.525 slash line, 33 home runs, and 112 RBI. Add in his 23 stolen bases and the last of his Gold Glove seasons, we have ourselves an important piece to the club’s success.

Finally, there’s Green. In his final big league season, Green hit an underwhelming 10 home runs and drove in 46 but made up for it with 30 doubles and a .291/.352/.430 slash line.

Add in that they were a righty, switch-hitter, and lefty, we have ourselves one of the most complete outfield trios to ever patrol the grounds in Flushing.

4) NY Mets Best Outfield Trios: Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton, Derek Bell

Another one year trio, these three helped get the Mets to the 2000 World Series. None were near the biggest stars on the team. However, they combined to become what I believe is one of the most underrated threesomes in Mets’ outfield history.

Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton, and Derek Bell were the three primary outfielders for the Mets in this eventually ill-fated trip to the championship. They kind of completed each other.

Agbayani led the three with a .477 slugging percentage over the course of 415 plate appearances. Payton had the batting average advantage at .291. As for the veteran of the group, Bell, he gave the Mets the most power in terms of numbers with 18 home runs and 69 RBI.

These three matched so closely in some numbers it’s frightening. They all had 15-18 home runs and had 60-69 RBI. Hitting in a variety of spots in the order, they gave the Mets’ star infielders runners to drive in and opportunities to cross the plate on their own.

An added bonus for what makes this trio so special: only Bell started in the outfield on Opening Day. The club began with Rickey Henderson in left field and Darryl Hamilton in center field. Fortunately, changes were made and we got this legendary group of three underdogs.

2) NY Mets Best Outfield Trios: Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Art Shamsky/Ron Swoboda

The 1969 Mets are still a favorite among baseball fans—even those who don’t bleed blue and orange. The team’s run to a championship seemed to come out of nowhere after a near-decade of losing.

This World Series-winning club had an outfield that included Cleon Jones in left, Tommie Agee in center, and a classic platoon in right with time being shared between the lefty Art Shamsky and the righty Ron Swoboda.

Jones went out and hit .340 for the Mets this season while knocking 12 home runs and driving in 75. The batting average would hold as the best in franchise history for decades. Add in a team-leading 16 stolen bases and we have a memorable year from the greatest left fielder in Mets history.

In center field, Agee led the team with 26 home runs and 76 RBI. He hit an awesome .271/.342/.464 and played exceptional defense.

As for the platoon duo, only Shamsky had numbers that aged well. In his 349 trips to the plate, Shamsky batted .300/.375/.488 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI. By comparison to Swoboda’s .235/.326/.361 with 9 home runs and 52 RBI in 375 plate appearances, it’s the much more favorable stat line.

But we shouldn’t take away how important Swoboda was to the Mets. After all, it was his famous catch that was necessary on their way to winning it all.

1) NY Mets Best Outfield Trios: Kevin McReynolds, Lenny Dykstra/Mookie Wilson, Darryl Strawberry

Our number one outfield trio had probably the most sustained success of any on this list even if it wasn’t all that long.

In the post-World Series days of the Mets, the team remained competitive. A huge reason for it was how awesome their outfield trio was.

Lenny Dykstra and Mookie Wilson were still sharing a lot of time in center field. Darryl Strawberry remained in right field as one of the league’s best home run threats. The big difference was the presence of Kevin McReynolds in left field. He gave the Mets home run pop, run production, and stability at a position where they didn’t always have it.

This trio enjoyed the majority of its success in 1987 and 1988. In 1989, it ended when the Mets traded Dykstra and Wilson away in separate deals. Before that happened, they got to enjoy a trip to the NLCS in a season where Strawberry finished second and McReynolds finished third in the MVP vote. Combined, they drove in 200 runs and stole 50 bases.

Add in what Dykstra and Wilson were able to provide with speed and everything else they did well, we have our greatest outfield trio to ever call Shea Stadium or Citi Field home.

Which other outfield trios do you think deserve some consideration?