Mets Opening Day starters after the GOAT at each position left

When the Mets moved on from Keith Hernandez they didn’t do much

Keith Hernandez’s Opening Day start in 1989 would be his last with the Mets. The following season, Mike Marshall took over first base. Marshall is an interesting player in Mets lore. Acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers that rid them of Juan Samuel, he was again dealt away in mid-1990.

Before that happened, Marshall batted .239/.278/.411 for the Mets in 176 plate appearances. It was clear how much of a step down the franchise had taken at first base after many years of Gold Glove defense and MVP-caliber at-bats from Hernandez.

The Mets went big when they tried replacing Edgardo Alfonzo

The Mets swung for the fence when they tried to replace Edgardo Alfonzo at second base following the 2001 season. Alfonzo, now at third base again, would remain with the team but open up a new door. In a trade with the Cleveland Indians, the Mets brought in future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar.

Alomar spent only a year and a half in New York. A major disappointment, they shipped him out of town in mid-2003 at the trade deadline hoping to correct the mistake of bringing him to town in the first place. Maybe they should have kept Alfonzo at second base and went with someone else at third.

Finding a replacement for David Wright seems impossible

David Wright started every Opening Day for the Mets from 2005-2016. Even though there were a lot of injuries in those final years, he was there on Opening Day.

The streak ended in 2017 when The Captain missed the entire year. His good baseball buddy Jose Reyes took over at the hot corner for him. It was only a temporary plan with Todd Frazier brought in the following offseason. In the years since, the Mets still haven’t found anyone permanent.

Jose Reyes left a big hole at shortstop

Long before he was the third base replacement for Wright, Reyes was the guy starting on Opening Day for the Mets at shortstop. A rather shallow position in franchise history from an offensive standpoint, Reyes could hit and run like few others in the game.

Although he didn’t get the start on Opening Day 2010 due to injury, he returned in 2011 one last time. After leaving in free agency, the Mets went with three straight years of Ruben Tejada at the position. There was a bit of a carousel in the following seasons but with Francisco Lindor signed to a long-term deal, there’s no question who will be at the position for the next few years.

You probably don’t remember who replaced Cleon Jones in left field

Cleon Jones was the starting left fielder for the Mets every year from 1969-1974. In 1975, someone else got the call. His name was Gene Clines.

If you don’t remember Clines, join the club. He spent only the 1975 season with the team, batting .227/.269/.286 with zero home runs. A part-time player for much of his career, this was one of the biggest drop offs at any position in franchise history.

Carlos Beltran’s Opening Day starts ended early

Carlos Beltran represented the Mets in center field on Opening Day for the final time in 2009. In 2011, he was in right field. In 2010, he was injured. So depending on how you want to look at it, we have two options.

In 2010, Gary Matthews Jr. was the Opening Day center fielder. He played only 36 games for the team and batted .190. If you want to go with Pagan as your answer, it’s a little better. Coming off of a good year in 2010, he spent his final season with the Mets in 2011 batting .262/.322/.372. The next two Opening Days would feature Andres Torres and Collin Cowgill at the position until Juan Lagares took over.

There was no immediate answer from the Mets to replace Darryl Strawberry

Darryl Strawberry left the Mets in free agency after the 1990 season and the 1991 Mets opened with a familiar name in right field. Hubie Brooks was brought back to town. No longer an infielder as he was in his early days, Brooks had transitioned to right fielder over the most recent seasons.

Brooks hit for decent power, smacking 16 home runs in only 407 trips to the plate. This didn’t compare to the production Strawberry had given them for so many years prior. The Mets saw this. And the following offseason, the Bobby Bonilla in Queens storyline began.