Ranking the 15 greatest Mets outfielders in franchise history

Ranking the top 15 outfielders for the New York Mets as they enter their 60th season sounds pretty easy but it's a lot harder than I thought it'd be.

The Mets have always been a franchise known for its pitching. They've had all-time greats like Tom Seaver, Doc Gooden, and Jacob deGrom to name a few. On the offensive side of the ball, it's a lot thinner.

Coming up with 15 outfielders was hard, but definitely easier than finding 15 infielders.

Who are the 15 greatest Mets outfielders in franchise history?

15. Ron Swoboda

Ron Swoboda played six of his nine years with the Mets. He debuted just three years after the franchise was born. His stats with the Mets are not all that impressive. He slashed .242/.319/.387 with 69 home runs and 304 RBI.

His best season came in 1967 when he recorded his highest batting average of .281 and his second highest home run total of 13.

Swoboda is most known for one thing. The catch. In the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 1969 World Series, Swoboda made an unbelievable diving catch with the Orioles rallying. That fly-out did tie the game but had it gone by Swoboda the Orioles likely would've taken the lead and who knows what would've happened in that series if that was the case.

Swoboda also drove in what eventually became the game winning run in the clinching Game 5. These two memorable moments in the 1969 World Series came after he didn't even play in the NLCS. Swoboda hit .400 in his four World Series games and holds a special place in Mets fans hearts because of how big he came up in a moment of need.

14. Dave Kingman

Dave Kingman had an odd career as a Met. He had two three-year stints in Queens. One from 1975-1977, and the other from 1981-1983. During his time as a Met, he split time between left field and first base, but played more in left than at first which is why he's on this list.

Kingman was ahead of his time as a player. The definition of an "all or nothing" type of hitter. He'd strikeout or hit a home run. Kingman slashed .219/.287/.453 with 154 home runs and 389 RBI. The 154 home runs are good for fifth in franchise history. He averaged 26 home runs per season as a Met which for that time especially is impressive.

The reason Kingman isn't higher on this list is he literally didn't do anything else. He was atrocious in the field which is why he rotated between left field and first base. He didn't have speed, didn't hit many singles.

The lack of outfield depth and the fact that he's fifth on the franchise's home run list is why Kingman is on this list.

12. Lee Mazzilli

Like Dave Kingman, Lee Mazzilli had two different stints with the Mets and also split time between the outfield and first base. His first stint with the Mets came from 1976-1981 followed by another stint from 1986-1989. During those two stints, Mazzilli slashed .264/.357/.396 with 68 home runs and 353 RBI.

Mazzilli's best season came in 1979 where he slashed .303/.395/.409 with 15 home runs and a career best 79 RBI. He made the only All-Star game of his career and posted a 4.9 WAR in 158 games.

His second stint as a Met was not as successful as his first from a production standpoint but he did win a World Series in 1986, getting two hits in five at bats in the Fall Classic.

Mazzilli was a guy who could be relied upon to play 150+ games in the outfield and provide a mix of some speed and a little bit of pop as well.

Mazzilli ranks in the top 10 in stolen bases and walks drawn as a Met and is definitely one of the better center fielders to play for the Mets.

11. Curtis Granderson

Curtis Granderson's first season as a Met was very underwhelming. He slashed .227/.326/.388 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI. Those numbers aren't bad, but he was supposed to be the guy to protect David Wright in the order. Granderson's below average season was one of the reasons the Mets finished under .500 and missed the playoffs in 2014.

In 2015, a switch flipped. Granderson was the leadoff man and he looked like a completely different hitter. He wasn't the 40 homer hitter he was on the Yankees, he wasn't the 25 stolen base guy. He posted his second highest OBP of his career at .364 and hit 26 home runs. For much of the season the Mets struggled mightily to score runs, Granderson was the one keeping them afloat.

In the playoffs he wasn't Daniel Murphy but he was excellent. He hit .283 with three home runs, all three coming in the World Series, and 12 RBI. All three of his home runs gave the Mets a lead in three separate games. His clutch play is not talked about enough because of everything Daniel Murphy did.

In 2016, Granderson hit 30 bombs and helped the Mets get to the Wild Card Game. They'd lose but Granderson made an unbelievable catch in center field to keep the game scoreless, sacrificing his body crashing into the wall.

He mightve not been in his prime anymore but Granderson was a great player for the Mets and one I wish was there longer because he for sure would've been higher on this list.

10. Lenny Dykstra

Lenny Dykstra only played in New York for four and a half seasons but he definitely made his mark as a Met. He played in 544 games, slashing .278/.350/.413 with 30 home runs and 153 RBI. His calling card was his speed as he stole 116 bases as a Met, averaging about 25 a season.

Dykstra's best season as a Met came in 1986, his first season as a full-time starter, as he slashed .295/.377/.445 with eight home runs and 45 RBI. He chipped in 31 stolen bases in 147 games and finished 19th in the NL MVP race.

His best regular season as a Met came in 1986 and he came up big in the postseason as well. He hit .300 with three home runs and six RBI in what led to the Mets second World Series title. For a guy who wasn't known to hit home runs to hit three in just 50 at bats in the 1986 playoffs says a lot about Dykstra as a clutch player.

It's unfortunate that a majority of his career was spent in Philadelphia but Dykstra's tenure as a Met cemented himself as one of the better center fielders in the franchise's history.

9. Yoenis Cespedes

One of the best trades in franchise history was when the Mets acquired Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers. They sent prospects Luis Cessa and Michael Fulmer to the Tigers to acquire what ended up being the missing piece for a team that went from one that couldn't score a run to winning the National League Pennant.

When the Mets acquired Cespedes I was overcome with joy. Carlos Gomez was a good player who I would've been excited about, but he wasn't this guy. He wasn't the 40 homer guy with a rocket of an arm out of left field.

Right when Cespedes arrived was when the Mets took off. He debuted right in the middle of the memorable series sweep at Citi Field against the Nationals. He slashed .287/.337/.604 with 17 home runs and 44 RBI in just 57 games. He seemed to come up with every clutch hit and throw there could possibly be, and the Mets seemed like they could never lose. He was so good for the Mets he ended up finishing 13th in the NL MVP race despite only playing 57 games in the National League.

In 2016, Cespedes was outstanding once again. He slashed .280/.354/.530 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI. He was an all-star and finished eighth in the MVP voting. He's a big reason the Mets made the Wild Card Game in 2016 when it seemed like everyone was hurt.

In 2017 he played in just 81 games but hit .292 with 17 home runs. After that, the injuries piled up and he was never the same. He's played just 46 games since 2017. His time as a Met ended in a disappointing way, but what he did in his first season and a half as a Met cannot be overstated.

8. Rusty Staub

Like others on this list, Rusty Staub had two seasons as a Met. The first was from 1972-1975. This was where Rusty did a majority of his damage as a Met as he slashed .276/.361/.428 with 62 home runs and 297 RBI in 524 games. He posted a 123 OPS+ and ended up qualifying in the MVP voting twice, finishing 25th in 1972 and 14th in 1975.

Rusty's second stint was as good as his first, but it wasn't bad by any stretch. It ran from 1981-1985 where he slashed .276/.350/.391 with 13 home runs and 102 RBI in 418 games, many of which had Rusty coming off the bench.

Staub was a key piece of the 1973 Mets and despite the World Series loss, he still showed up. He slashed .423/.464/.615 with one home run and six RBI in the seven game series.

Thanks to all of his contributions as a Met Staub was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1986, right after he retired. Even though he did play some first base he's without a doubt one of the best right fielders in franchise history and that's where he played during his peak years.

7. Tommie Agee

Tommie Agee's time as a Met was short as he only played five seasons in Flushing, but those were five very good seasons. He slashed .262/.329/.419 with 82 home runs and 265 RBI. He also stole 167 bases in 661 games.

Agee had his best year in 1970 when he slashed .286/.344/.469 with 24 home runs and 75 RBI. He tacked on 31 stolen bases in 155 games. He finished 19th in the NL MVP race and won the Gold Glove for center field.

Agee's second best season came in 1969, when he slashed .271/.342/.464 with 26 home runs and 76 RBI. He finished sixth in the NL MVP race and was a key contributor to the Miracle Mets.

In the 1969 NLCS, Agee slashed .357/.438/.857 with two home runs, four RBI, and two stolen bases. In the World Series, he hit another home run and made two unbelievable catches to save runs and help the Mets beat the Orioles in five games.

Agee's tenure with the Mets wasn't long, but it was extremely impactful which is why he was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2002 and is a top ten outfielder in franchise history for sure.

6. Kevin McReynolds

One of the more interesting trades the Mets have made came after winning the 1986 World Series. They traded Kevin MItchell, who famously scored the game tying run in Game 6 of the World Series and was coming off of a very solid first full season in the majors, along with some other pieces in exchange for Kevin McReynolds.

The Mets were getting a really solid player who was just coming off of his best season in 1986. He followed that up with even better seasons in Queens. As a Met, McReynolds slashed .272/.331/.460 with 122 home runs and 456 RBI in 787 games.

McReynolds wasn't the flashiest Met, which on a roster including guys like Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry that would've been hard to do, but he was one of if not the most consistent Met from 1987-1990. He was a guy you could guarantee would hit .270 with 20+ bombs and 80+ RBI. He even stole some bases, stealing at least 14 from 1987-1989.

While he was great with the bat, he was just as great in left field. He led the league in outfield assists from 1988-1990 and was extremely reliable tracking down anything hit his way.

In his lone postseason as a Met, McReynolds hit two home runs in a hard fought seven game series loss to the Dodgers in the NLCS with an .848 OPS.

McReynolds is tenth in home runs and 11th in RBI in Mets franchise history and is a guy with a Mets Hall of Fame case for sure. He's without a doubt a top left fielder in the history of the Mets.

5. Michael Conforto

If this is it for Michael Conforto as a Met, which I assume it is, I wish things would've ended on a better note. Conforto struggled in 2021, slashing .232/.344/.384 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI. He missed time due to injury and never seemed to kick it into gear.

While this season was bad, that doesn't take away everything else Conforto has done as a Met. In his seven year career he has slashed .255/.356/.468 with 132 home runs and 396 RBI. We've watched Conforto blossom from a young kid into an all-star.

Conforto was a highly touted prospect who was picked tenth overall in the 2014 MLB draft. He was called up in 2015 with lofty expectations, expected to contribute down the stretch for a team vying for playoff contention, and he delivered. He slashed .270/.335/.506 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 56 games. I'll never forget his four hit game in just his second career game.

Confrorto was good down the stretch and also came up clutch in the postseason. He had the line drive home run off the foul pole in Game 2 of the NLDS off of Zack Greinke. And he also had the two home run game in Game 4 of the World Series.

Conforto's best season came in 2017 when he slashed .279/.384/.555 with 27 home runs and 68 RBI. He did that in only 107 games played. He might've topped that in 2020 although that season was cut short. He had a .927 OPS in the 54 games he played.

Conforto is 16th in WAR amongst position players in franchise history and is seventh in home runs. He also owns the franchise's hit by pitch record. Conforto had his good and bad moments but he's without a doubt a top five outfielder in franchise history.

4. Cleon Jones

The best left fielder in franchise history who caught the final out of the 1969 World Series is Cleon Jones. He played 12 of his 13 years as a Met, playing just 12 games for the White Sox in 1976.

As a Met, Jones slashed .281/.340/.406 with 93 home runs and 521 RBI. When Jones retired, he was the franchise's leader in hits, runs, home runs, RBI, and doubles.

Jones' best season in the majors came in 1969. He slashed .340/.422/.482 with 12 home runs and 75 RBI. The .340 batting average was third in the National League just behind Pete Rose and Roberto Clemente. It was also one of the highest averages for a Met in franchise history. He made his first and only all-star team and helped lead the Mets to a 100 win season.

Jones is a key reason why the Mets beat the Braves in the NLCS, going 6/14, driving in four runs in the three games. In his other chance in the postseason in 1973, Jones hit .292, over 30 points higher than his regular season average.

Having played 12 years in Queens, Jones is in the top 10 in just about every statistical category except for home runs where he ranks in the top 20. Jones was rightfully inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1991 and even if his stats don't blow you away, he'll forever be remembered at least for making the catch to win the World Series.

3. Mookie Wilson

"Little roller up along first... Behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight, and the Mets win it!" If there's one thing Mookie Wilson is remembered for, it's that at bat. He hit an innocent looking ground ball down the first base line in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series that ended up getting by Bill Buckner and kept the Mets season alive. They ended up winning Game 7 and their second World Series title in franchise history.

While that ground ball is what Wilson is remembered for, that isn't why he's a top-three outfielder in franchise history. Wilson only played in the majors for 12 years but luckily spent ten of them as a Met. In those ten seasons, he slashed .276/.318/.394 with 60 home runs and 342 RBI in 1,116 games. Wilson's calling card was his speed as he stole 281 bases which was the franchise record until Jose Reyes broke it. He's now second.

Reyes also bumped Mookie down to second on the franchise's triples list. Wilson also ranks sixth in hits and runs scored.

Wilson's best season came in 1984 where he slashed .276/.308/.409 with a career high ten home runs and 54 RBI. He also hit ten triples and stole 46 bases.

Wilson was known in Mets lore as the speed guy until Jose Reyes came around. He's without a doubt one of the best outfielders in franchise history and his spot in the Mets Hall of Fame proves that.

2. Carlos Beltran

The only manager in Mets history to never lose a game is also the best center fielder in franchise history. Prior to the 2005 season, Carlos Beltran signed what at that time was the biggest contract in Mets history, signing a seven-year $119 million-dollar deal. He came to The Big Apple with high expectations and in my opinion, he surpassed them.

In his six and a half seasons as a Met, Beltran slashed .280/.369/.500 with 149 home runs and 559 RBI. He tacked on 100 stolen bases in 839 career games in orange and blue.

Beltran made five all-star teams, won two Silver Slugger Awards, and three Gold Gloves. His best season came in 2006, when he slashed .275/.388/.594 with 41 home runs and 116 RBI. The home runs and RBI were both career highs for Beltran, and the home runs tied Todd Hundley for the franchise's single season record before Pete Alonso broke it in his rookie year.

He won the Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove for center field and finished fourth in the MVP voting. Unfortunately, that 2006 season is remembered for Beltran striking out looking to eliminate the Mets in the NLCS, but that doesn't take away from everything Beltran did to get them to that spot. He slashed .296/.387/.667 with three home runs and four RBI in the seven games. He also scored eight runs.

Beltran is in the top ten in just about every major statistical category in Mets history and if he does get inducted into the Hall of Fame, he'll likely go in with a Mets cap on.

1. Darryl Strawberry

The best outfielder in Mets history is Darryl Strawberry and it's not close. He's the most dominant and feared hitter the Mets have ever had. In his eight years in Flushing he slashed .260/.359/.520 with 252 home runs and 733 RBI. The 252 home runs is a Mets franchise record.

Strawberry burst onto the scene as a 21-year old kid and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. In that season he slashed .257/.336/.512 with 26 home runs and 74 RBI. He tacked on 19 stolen bases in 122 games played.

In the following season, Strawberry hit another 26 home runs and stole another 27 bases. He made his first of eight straight all-star games.

Strawberry's best season came in 1987 when he slashed .284/.398/.583 with 39 home runs and 104 RBI. he made the all-star team and finished sixth in the MVP voting. The .981 OPS was at that time the highest in a single season in franchise history and is now the fifth highest.

The following season, Strawberry led the National League in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. He also finished second in the MVP race and won the first of his two Silver Slugger Awards.

Strawberry's status as the franchise's home run leader and as a key piece of the Mets second World Series title team are two of the many reasons why Strawberry ranks as the best outfielder in Mets history.