Mets starting lineup of the all-time greats

What would the greatest New York Mets starting lineup of all-time look like? You probably already have an idea in your head of who might start at each position. But in what order would you put them?

It’s not an overly controversial discussion to get into. I think most Mets fans can agree on who belongs in the starting nine with maybe only a few changes along the way.

In an attempt to build the ultimate Mets starting lineup, this is the lineup card I’ve decided to submit.

Leading off for the NY Mets is SS Jose Reyes

There is no easy choice to bat leadoff for the Mets than Jose Reyes. He is such a tremendous outlier at shortstop already as the best to ever play the position for this organization—the next decade of Francisco Lindor pending.

At his best, Reyes was one of the best base thieves in the game. He led the league each season from 2005-2007 in this category. In 2011, he became the first player in Mets history to win a batting title.

Career totals with the Mets include a .282/.334/.433 slash line, 1534 hits, and 408 stolen bases. These numbers are dragged down quite a bit because of his weak final three seasons in the majors. Looking exclusively at his prime seasons from 2003-2011, we get a much better picture of what Reyes could do in this all-time franchise starting lineup.

In those early years, Reyes hit .292/.341/.441 with 1300 of his career hits. Included in them are 222 doubles, 99 triples, and 81 home runs.

Any Mets lineup with Reyes at the top has the immediate potential to take the lead. A single and a stolen base is never out of the question. Or maybe, if he’s feeling especially eager to score a run, a leadoff triple can put the opposing team in some early danger.

Hitting third, 3B David Wright

I’m not sure if David Wright would be the captain of this lineup. After all, we have some legendary Mets here including one other that once wore a C on his chest.

Regardless of this, there’s nobody better to play third base for the Mets than Wright.

Only a small number of franchise records don’t belong to Wright. Remove his injuries late in his career and he has plenty more of them.

Wright was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career. He ended up with a total of 1777 career hits, 242 home runs, and 970 RBI to go with his .296/.376/.491 slash line. Somewhat quietly, he also stole 196 bases and won a pair of Gold Gloves.

Wright is an important part of Mets history for everything he did on and off the field. He was a true leader whose best leadership quality was what he was able to produce regularly on the field.

His time with the Mets ended with five seasons of driving in 100 or more runs. Although his power didn’t quite compare to a few other guys in this all-time Mets lineup, his offensive abilities make him a great candidate to hit third.

By the time Wright comes to the plate, I would expect this Mets team to at least have Reyes on third and Alfonzo at first. Does Wright knock in the first run?

The cleanup hitter for the NY Mets is C Mike Piazza

You won’t find too many franchises whose all-time lineup has a catcher batting cleanup. There’s a reason for it. Most teams didn’t employ Mike Piazza.

Piazza was a different type of player during his Mets days than the already fantastic seasons he spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was more of a true slugger for the Mets. More importantly, he was a franchise-changer.

The time he spent with the Mets included 1028 hits, 220 home runs, and a .296/.373/.542 batting lineup. Piazza hit 30+ home runs in each of his first four full seasons with the team. This doesn’t even include the 1998 season where he hit a mammoth 23 in only 109 games.

Catchers like Piazza are rare. Typically, you’d find someone of his offensive abilities making their way to the American League to DH or finding a first baseman’s mitt full-time. His defense was faulty but I cannot count that as a strike against him. He did far too much at the plate to steal any points away from what he did behind it.

Add in that Piazza never struck out more than 87 times in a season for the Mets and we have ourselves a cleanup hitter that will at least put the ball in play.

Stepping to the plate, CF Carlos Beltran

This is typically the point where it can get tricky to know who to bat because you’re beginning to put guys who would normally hit much higher in spots far below their abilities. Carlos Beltran would be far more ideal hitting third or fourth. In this lineup, he takes over the number five duties.

Regarded by many as one of the most underappreciated Mets, Beltran hit .280/.369/.500 for the club while hitting 149 home runs and driving in 559. He also managed to cross over into triple digits with 100 stolen bases while with the team. In parts of seven seasons with the club, Beltran was one of the best outfielders in the game.

In 2006, Beltran tied Todd Hundley for the franchise’s single-season home run record with 41. That same season was the year he would win the first of three Gold Gloves as a member of the Mets. He wasn’t just a threat at the plate. Beltran could steal runs away from the opposing team.

A big trouble with Beltran’s stay in Queens is his health. He missed half of 2009 and even more games in 2010. His final season with the team in 2011 ended when he was traded mid-year to the San Francisco Giants for Zack Wheeler.

Beltran would give this Mets lineup a little bit of everything from the five hole. In center field, they couldn’t find a better fielder either.

Giving the NY Mets some power from the six-hole, RF Darryl Strawberry

Remember that whole tidbit about hitting below where they belong? That’s where Darryl Strawberry fits in.

Surprisingly the first from the 1986 Mets to make this lineup, Strawberry is the franchise’s best right fielder of all-time. Considering his 252 home runs is more than any other Mets player has hit, some can even argue he’s their greatest slugger.

Strawberry never had a year with the Mets that didn’t include at least 25 home runs. Twice he hit 39, leading the league with this total in 1988. He was still a young kid at the time at only 26-years-old. Immensely powerful, his career .263/.359/.520 slash line as a member of the Mets is heavy on power, a little lacking in the hits department.

Despite being more home run focused than anything else, Strawberry tremendous base thief as well. In 1987, he had a 30-30 season with 39 home runs and 36 stolen bases. Each was a personal high for his career.

To reiterate: I hate having Strawberry bat this low in the lineup. But how do you put him ahead of guys like Wright, Piazza, and Beltran? They hit for a higher average during their tenure with the Mets and had just as much potential to go yard.

If opposing pitchers can somehow get the guys out ahead of Strawberry, the Mets lineup gets a whole lot dangerous again when he steps to the plate.

Next we have 1B Keith Hernandez

I’m not sure where the best place to hit Keith Hernandez in this lineup is. His career .297/.387/.429 slash line with the Mets screams for the number two spot. Personally, I like Alfonzo up there a little more. Because of this, we have to put our second 1986 Mets player way down at number seven.

It’s not the worst place to put him. Hernandez can pick up pieces the rest of the guys missed.

From the time he was acquired in mid-1983 through 1986, Hernandez was always a .300 or better hitter for the Mets. He gave them okay power with above-average run production. The 1984-1987 campaigns all included 83-94 RBI performances. From the number seven spot in this Mets lineup, I have confidence he could continue to do some nice damage and provide this hypothetical team with some crooked numbers.

Of course, Hernandez’s greatest contribution will be with his glove. Along with Wright and Beltran, this Mets team has some terrific defense that can steal wins by making sure other teams can’t score.

First base has been such a deep position throughout Mets history. There are a couple of directions to go here. With the power elsewhere and the importance of good defense at this spot, I think Hernandez is a safe choice.

Far too low in the lineup but given the context he’ll understand is LF Cleon Jones

Finally, a little respect for the 1969 Mets. In all fairness, they weren’t known for their bats. Left fielder Cleon Jones might be one exception.

Jones hit .340/.422/.482 for the 1969 Mets while adding 12 home runs and 75 RBI. It was a standout season for him but not his lone quality year in New York.

Jones’ Mets totals included a .281/.340/.406 slash line, 93 home runs, and 521 RBI. He stayed with the team into 1975 when the club was making their last-ditch efforts to get back to glory.

Unlike a couple of other players on this club, I don’t feel too bad about having Jones bat eighth. His best days with the Mets weren’t incredible from a number’s standpoint. However, when compared to many other left fielders in franchise history, I like the choice.

After all, if I had gone with Yoenis Cespedes, we might end up with no left fielder at all for a year or two.

Sometimes Jones gets forgotten when compared to many other Mets legends, including the seven batters ahead of him in this lineup. He didn’t have the home run power, All-Star appearances, or major awards. Still, he’s an easy selection to be this team’s starting left fielder.

Batting ninth and taking the mound is SP Tom Seaver

Does this need any explanation at all? Tom Seaver is the GOAT of the Mets. Nobody is better equipped to pitch for them. Not only is he the greatest pitcher in franchise history, but he’s also probably the best player. He’s an all-time MLB legend and a guy who only a handful of contemporaries even compare to.

Three Cy Youngs, 198 wins, and a 2.57 ERA all help to highlight what Seaver was able to do with the Mets alone. He was a once-in-a-generation player so talented that it’s not even cliché to use the term once in a generation.

Maybe the only downside to having Seaver on this team would be how the Mets had the tenacity to not score enough runs for him. But we don’t solve the issue by putting Jacob deGrom on the mound so let’s stick with Seaver.

We shouldn’t even be concerned about any offense Seaver can provide this team. Although a good hitter during his career, it’s what Seaver could do on the mound that makes him such an absolute legend.

How does this Mets lineup look to you? What would you change? Who would you remove and replace with someone else? Each World Series team has some representation with stars from every decade to please fans of every age.