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The New York Mets boast two World Series titles and some of the greatest players of all time. From the Miracle Mets of 1969 to the dominant run in the 80s to a team of current superstars, narrowing this list down to ten was difficult. Picking a top player was easy, as the Mets will always be defined by Tom Seaver. But how does the rest of the Mets' top ten list work out?
#1: Tom Seaver (1967-1977, 1983)
The greatest New York Mets player of all time is Tom Seaver. He was a key part of the 1969 championship team, winning the National League Cy Young Award with a league-high 25 wins in the regular season. He made three starts in that postseason, including a ten-inning complete game in Game 4 on three days' rest. That was the first of his three Cy Young years, all in New York.
In 1977, the Mets traded Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds. It is often referred to as the worst move in franchise history. Seaver returned to the Mets in 1983 for one season, then went to the White Sox, and finished with a half-season with the Red Sox. Despite being on the 1986 Red Sox, he did not make an appearance in the World Series against the Mets. His number 41 is retired by the Mets, he is in the Hall of Fame, and a statue sits outside of Citi Field.
#2: Darryl Strawberry (1983-1990)
Taking the second spot overall is Darryl Strawberry, who is the best position player in the history of the Mets. He was only there for eight seasons, but his peak is matched by few in franchise history. Strawberry won Rookie of the Year in 1983 with 26 homers and 74 RBIs at just 21 years old. From there, he made the All-Star Game in every season in New York and finished top six in MVP voting three times.
Strawberry's best season came with the Mets in 1988, when he led baseball with 39 homers and a .911 OPS. He finished second in MVP voting that year, barely losing to Dodgers' first baseman Kirk Gibson. He joined the Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees to finish his career, winning two more titles in The Bronx. From the number one overall pick in 1980 to an 80's icon in Queens, there are few better peaks from his era than Strawberry's.
#3: David Wright (2004-2016, 2018)
The first player on our list to spend his entire career with the Mets, David Wright defined an era for the Amazins. He spent over a decade at third base, putting together some incredible seasons that earned him Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2007 and 2008. Injuries got the best of him late in his career, but Wright was as stable as they came when healthy.
Wright was only part of two playoff runs, in 2006 and 2015. While his offensive numbers were not stellar in either run, he was the hero in the Mets' lone win of the 2015 World Series. He hit a monstrous two-run homer to open Game 3 that will be played when his number is retired later this year.
#4: Jacob deGrom (2014-2022)
The Mets drafted converted shortstop Jacob deGrom in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB Draft as a right-handed pitcher. They turned that pick into one of the best peaks in recent pitching history. Despite injuries clouding his recent years, you cannot deny the greatness of deGrom. From 2017-2022, he posted a 2.35 ERA in 122 appearances, winning just 47 games because those teams did not have great offenses.
deGrom's two Cy Youngs are second only to Seaver in franchise history. While he did leave for the Rangers in free agency, his importance to the Mets cannot be denied.
#5: Dwight Gooden (1984-1994)
Gooden makes the list of the greatest Mets players ever for two reasons. First, he put together what could be considered the greatest individual season in franchise history in 1985. At 20 years old, he won 24 games with a 1.53 ERA, 12.2 bWAR, and 268 strikeouts. He was also a key member of the 1986 championship team, including a ten-inning complete game in Game 5 of the NLCS.
Gooden is another Met who left after a great run and landed with the Yankees. He threw his lone career no-hitter in The Bronx against the Mariners in May of 1996. But his best years came with the Mets, and he closes out our top five.
#6: Jerry Koosman (1967-1978)
The fourth pitcher in our top six, Koosman was a long-time Met and a member of the 1969 championship team. That team featured Seaver and Nolan Ryan, but it was Koosman who picked up the win in the clinching Game 5 over the Orioles. He backed that up with another decade of solid pitching for the Amazins to land himself on the list.
Koosman is a classic fan-favorite player. His career record was barely over .500, but his long tenure with the Mets and World Series heroics earned him a jersey retirement.
#7: Mike Piazza (1998-2005)
One of the greatest offensive catchers of all time pulls in at the seventh spot among the greatest Mets players ever. Piazza joined the Mets in 1998 and led them in homers despite only playing 109 games. He was then the key offensive piece for an NLCS run in 1999 and World Series run in 2000, but they could not win that elusive third title. While with the Mets, Piazza won four Silver Sluggers and carded two top-ten MVP finishes.
Perhaps Piazza's most iconic moment came in the regular season, when the Mets returned to Shea Stadium for the first time since the September 11 attacks. He hit a massive home run in that game against the Braves just ten days after the Twin Towers fell. The Mets beat Atlanta 3-2 that day, but missed the playoffs with an 82-80 record.
#8: Keith Hernandez (1983-1989)
While Keith Hernandez was not with the Mets for a very long time, he was a massive piece to their 1986 championship team. When they picked him up in a mid-season trade with the Cardinals, the Mets knew they were getting an elite fielder at first base with an MVP season already under his belt. But what they did not know was that they were getting a franchise icon for generations to come.
Hernandez won five Gold Gloves, one Silver Slugger, and finished top ten in MVP voting three times while in Queens. But younger fans know him as the great color commentator for the team, which he has been doing for 20 years. His number 17 is retired by the Mets.
#9: Carlos Beltran (2005-2011)
Carlos Beltran played for seven teams across his 20-year career in MLB. But his prime was spent with the Mets, where he cemented himself as one of the greatest hitters in franchise history. He was an All-Star five times in seven years, with three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. His 31.1 bWAR is the seventh-highest mark in franchise history.
Unfortunately, Beltran's Mets career will be remembered for two embarrassing moments. First, he struck out looking to end the 2006 NLCS at Shea Stadium. While the Cardinals deserve credit for beating a great Mets club, that picture will live in infamy. And Beltran was named the Mets manager before the 2020 season and was stripped of the role for his involvement in the Astros' cheating scandal.
#10: Pete Alonso (2018-present)
Pete Alonso is the greatest homegrown Met of this generation. He came up in 2018 and broke Aaron Judge's brand-new rookie homer record with 53 bombs. Since then, he led the league in 2022 with 131 RBIs, has made three straight All-Star teams, and hit an iconic postseason home run off of Devin Williams. While he did not sign long-term this offseason, he could rocket up this list if he does.
If Alonso finishes 2025 strong, he will overtake Strawberry for the most home runs in franchise history. He ends April with 232, just 20 away from tying Strawberry. A long-term deal could put a scare into David Wright's total bases record, where he is 1,300 behind, and number 5's RBIs record, which he trails by 358.
