Mets Opening Day starters after the GOAT at each position left

There isn’t much debate in regards to who is the best player at each position in New York Mets history. The difference between the number one player at each spot and number two is large enough for us to not get into that argument today.

Instead, I want to take a look at something else. It’s replacing those GOATs.

Replacing a legend is never easy nor is it simple to step in and fill the void left behind. Just ask Ryan Minor. He’s the guy who stepped in to start in place of Cal Ripken Jr. when he finally ended his consecutive games played streak. It is what he became known for.

Although the Mets have no such streak in their history, they have also had some trouble replacing the GOATs. Position by position, this is what the club did on Opening Day once the greatest at each position was gone or at least no longer available to start for them.

The Mets replaced Tom Seaver on Opening Day with another legend

Jerry Koosman finally got his Opening Day start for the Mets in 1978. At long last, with Seaver now with the Cincinnati Reds, Koosman could take the bump for the first game of the season.

Although Koosman wasn’t a direct replacement of Seaver because of the position they played, he did end a streak that started in 1968. Every game number one of the season, the Metropolitans called upon Tom Terrific to start. It wasn’t until after he was traded that someone else got their chance.

The Mets did things right when Mike Piazza left

Mike Piazza was the Opening Day catcher every season from 1999-2005. The two sides parted ways before the 2006 season as Piazza’s career wound down.

The Mets weren’t ready to settle behind the plate. They pulled off a trade with the Florida Marlins to acquire two years of Paul Lo Duca’s services. It turned out to be a great move with Lo Duca providing the Mets with two productive years behind the dish all starting with a spot in the Opening Day lineup.

While Koosman and Lo Duca took over admirably for a short period of time, not all GOAT replacements would do the same.

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.