5 most surprising Mets playoff heroes in franchise history

Donn Clendenon winning the 1969 World Series MVP might have been only a slight surprise. The biggest trade deadline acquisition by the New York Mets in the year they would win their first championship, he was meant to do big things for them down the stretch and into the postseason.

The same thing happened with Ray Knight in 1986 before he won the World Series MVP. Certainly a hero of the postseason, it doesn’t quite much up with some other iconic Mets heroes who seemed to come from out of nowhere.

It’s these five Mets who we should look at most as the surprising playoff heroes the franchise has gotten big hits, big catches, and huge moments from.

1) NY Mets get a big home run from Al Weis in 1969

Of all the people to hit a home run for the Mets in the World Series, Al Weis was probably the last one anyone suspected. It was in the bottom of the 7th with two outs when Weis hit a home run to help tie the game against the Baltimore Orioles up 3-3.

The Mets would then score two more in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead for good before closing out the game and winning a World Series.

Exactly what makes this home run so impressive? Weis did, after all, have a pair of dingers in the regular season in 269 trips to the plate. In 800 career games, he only ever rounded the bases 7 times in the regular season. His one postseason home run couldn’t have come at a better time.