R.A. Dickey

Mets Should Invite R.A. Dickey To Spring Training

There was news recently the New York Mets plan on inviting David Wright to Spring Training to work with Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. The Mets interest is obvious because they want the best third baseman in team history to teach two of their best prospects to maximize their potential.

In terms of the Mets, this is something they and every franchise do. They always love bringing back the team greats to work with their young players. Years ago, the Mets had Mike Piazza work with Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki. If not for the World Baseball Classic, maybe Piazza could be there working with Francisco Álvarez and Kevin Parada.

For the Mets, we know they won’t stop at Wright. When looking at it, one Mets legend they should invite to Spring Training is R.A. Dickey because he can have an impact like no other former Mets player could.

We’re all very aware of the Dickey story. He was a former first round pick of the Texas Rangers who was discovered to be born without a UCL in his right arm who threw a forkball which was more akin to a knuckleball. This led him on a long and transient path to the majors and eventually the New York Mets.

With the Mets, he would be named the 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner, and he would be the last Mets pitcher to win 20 games. He had taken the mantle from Tim Wakefield as the great knuckleball pitcher of his generation, but unfortunately, there has really been no one to take up that mantle since Dickey retired.

When looking at any farm system, the Mets included, there are pitchers who are never going to make it to the majors. There are various reasons including lack of velocity and/or control. For those prospects, and for the organization, the question is how long you play out the string with them until you change something about them or eventually cut them loose. It’s a sad reality of the minor leagues.

For the Mets, having Dickey in camp could permit him to teach those prospects not just the knuckleball but his knuckleballs. Remember, when Dickey was with the Mets he threw multiple ones which is what made him a unique and dominating pitcher.

To some degree, this is what we saw happen with Jacob deGrom and Johan Santana. When Santana taught deGrom his change, deGrom’s trajectory as a prospect went to the next level. Taking another ninth round pick and showing them the knuckleball could have a similar impact. Chances are, it won’t, but certainly, it is worth trying.

In the end, Dickey is just one of four Mets pitchers to win a Cy Young. He was a great Met for the short time he was here, and for that reason alone, he should be invited back for spring training. The fact he could help Mets prospects take their game to the next level makes inviting Dickey a must.

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Mets Need To Keep Marcus Stroman For Rest Of His Career

When Marcus Stroman stepped to the microphone to speak with the media for the first time this season, he reminded everyone why the New York Mets need to extend him past this season. This is a great pitcher born to play in New York.

In that press conference, Stroman spoke about things we already knew about him. He believes in himself, and a huge reason why is because the man puts in the work.

Call it confidence, or call it ego. Just don’t call it hubris.

Stroman literally turns over every possible stone there is to improve as a pitcher. He trains to make sure he’s in exceptional shape. He focuses on the mental side of not just the game, but also his life. He keeps his family close, protects them, and appreciates them. He also is constantly evolving.

Here’s what’s interesting about the splitter. Back in 2018, when the Toronto Blue Jays signed Matt Shoemaker, part of Stroman’s reaction was he wanted to learn the pitch. We’re seeing that again with the Mets.

Stroman has been unabashedly honest saying Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher in the game. Fully knowing that, Stroman takes full advantage watching and learning from deGrom.

He’s been actively talking with deGrom how to be a better pitcher. This is exactly who Stroman is. This is a pitcher who does everything he can to go out there to improve and beat the other team.

He really does all he can. Remember, this is an elite defender on the mound. Mets fans saw a glimpse of that in his first start for the team. He also works on varying his delivery and timing to throw off the hitters. Really, he leaves no stone unturned.

Honestly, as he ages, you can see Stroman being the type of guy who reaches out to Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey to learn the knuckleball. If for no other reason, he’ll do it so he knows it for the time in his career when he may need it.

This is also why he’s a big game pitcher. His belief in himself and his teammates manifests itself when he takes the mound. It’s why he was the World Baseball Classic MVP, and why he had some of the guttiest performances you’ll see returning from an ACL injury to pitch for the Blue Jays in the postseason.

Overall, if you look at Stroman, you see a pitcher who will age well because he d constantly working to improve. Yes, every Major Leaguer does that to some degree, but Stroman is at another level.

Stroman is a pitcher who loves and thrives on the big stage. He’s the biggest advocate for his teammates. He loves the game, and he loves improving. This is a man who belongs in New York, and the Mets should do everything they can to ensure he spends the rest of his career here.

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Best Mets Of All Time: No. 66 Josh Edgin

The 2010 draft was one of the best in Mets history. It was not only because it brought the team future superstars like Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, but also because it developed useful Major League players. One of those players was 30th round draft pick Josh Edgin.

Edgin would first get called up to the majors in 2012, and he would be given the chance to develop as a LOOGY on a rebuilding Mets team. Something seemed to click for him in August when he began to put together a streak of 16 appearances without allowing an earned run. During that season, he seemed to establish himself as a part of the future of the Mets bullpen.

Unfortunately, Edgin would have to wait another year to do that as he would deal with the typical ups-and-downs of a young reliever in the bullpen, and he would deal with a stress fracture in his rib in 2013. Finally, in 2014, he got his chance, and he was one of the best relievers on that Mets team, and quite possibly, one of the best LOOGYs in all of baseball.

Over 47 appearances, Edgin was 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA, 0.915 WHIP, a 9.2 K/9, and a 4.67 K/BB. He limited left-handed batters to a paltry .189/.217/.323 batting line. In the rare occasions he had to face a right-handed batter, he more than held his own limiting them to a .219 batting average.

Edgin would last the full season even with inflammation in his elbow, which was originally diagnosed as bone spurs. In the ensuing Spring Training, Edgin had to shut it down as he needed Tommy John surgery. As a result, he would miss out on the Mets pennant run. As is typically the case, Edgin had a long rehabilitation road, and he would not appear again in the Majors until August 2016.

Fourteen of Edgin’s 16 appearances were scoreless. Between that and his being out of options, Edgin was set to be a part of the 2017 Opening Day roster. In the time he was up with the team, Edgin put together good numbers including a 114 ERA+. On April 28, 2017, he probably had his Mets career highlight.

With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Edgin was summoned to pitch to Bryce Harper. Edgin induced Harper to hit into a game ending 1-2-3 double play to preserve the Mets 7-5 lead and earn his second Major League save.

Unfortunately, he would hit the disabled list again in July, and at that point, his Mets career was effectively over. He finished his Mets career with the 22nd most appearances among relievers, and his 2014 season was one of the best seasons a Mets LOOGY ever had. He was a success story for a 30th round draft pick, and he is the best Mets player to ever wear the number 66.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia
59. Fernando Salas
60. Scott Schoeneweis
61. Dana Eveland
62. Drew Smith
63. Tim Peterson
64. Elmer Dessens
65. Robert Gsellman

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Best Mets Of All Time: No. 65 Robert Gsellman

In 2016, the Mets pitchers were falling by the wayside. The team was already in a precarious position in terms of the Wild Card race, and they desperately needed an arm or two to step up and help the Mets stay afloat. One of those arms was Robert Gsellman.

Starting with this debut, Gsellman would go 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in seven starts and one relief appearance that season. One interesting tidbit about that season was he was dealing with a torn labrum in his non-pitching shoulder limiting him to bunt attempts. Despite, that in his last start of the season, he would actually get his first Major League hit.

When Gsellman made his Mets debut, the Mets were 4.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second Wild Card. After that first relief appearance, the Mets were 3.5 games back. When Gsellman picked up his third win of the season, the Mets had a one game lead over the San Francisco Giants for the top Wild Card spot, and that’s where the Mets would be in his final start of the year.

Many expected Gsellman’s career to take off from that point, but that didn’t quite happen. In front of a poor Mets defense, the sinkerball pitcher would struggle in 2017 as a starter leading to the team moving him into the bullpen. In the bullpen, Gsellman has had some great stretches.

Gsellman opened the 2018 season as a reliever, and he was great at the start. Over the first month of the season, he was 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He’d struggle to handle the workload not just of a reliever, but also Mickey Callaway going to the whip with him. Gsellman would rebound to have a strong August before tiring the rest of the way.

Again, Gsellman got out to a good start in 2019. Looking over his splits, he was good in every month he pitched but June. While he rebounded in July, he began to strain under the workload, and he missed the rest of the season with a triceps injury. Despite having the injury, Gsellman did all he could do to try to get back on the mound to have the same impact in 2019 as he did in 2016. Unfortunately, he could not make it back.

Through it all, Gsellman has proven himself to be a Major League caliber reliever, and someone who could still yet make an impact in the rotation again. He helped push the Mets into the 2016 postseason. Overall, he has established himself as the best Mets player to ever wear the number 65.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia
59. Fernando Salas
60. Scott Schoeneweis
61. Dana Eveland
62. Drew Smith
63. Tim Peterson
64. Elmer Dessens

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Best Mets Of All Time: No. 64 Elmer Dessens

After 13 years in the Majors, a stop in the Mexican Leagues, and pitching all of four games in relief for the Atlanta Braves, the Mets signed Elmer Dessens to a minor league deal. When the Mets signed the 38 year old reliever, they were probably not anticipating him being as good a reliever for them as he wound up being. In fact, they may not have envisioned him pitching in the majors at all.

He would be up and down with the Mets due to the bevy of injuries that hit those Mets staffs in 2009 – 2010. When Dessens did pitch, he was extremely effective compiling a 148 ERA+. That was the best of the Mets relievers over that time frame with him even ahead of Pedro Feliciano and Francisco Rodriguez.

Dessens’ time with the Mets was so good, it helped the pitcher go from a career 99 ERA+ to a 101 meaning his time on the Mets took him from a slightly below average reliever in his career to a slightly above average one. In his time with the Mets, Dessens was 4-2 with a 2.71 ERA. It wasn’t spectacular, but with relief help always scarce in baseball, that is certainly impressive. In the end, that is why he is the best Mets player to ever wear the number 64.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia
59. Fernando Salas
60. Scott Schoeneweis
61. Dana Eveland
62. Drew Smith
63. Tim Peterson

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Best Mets Of All Time: No. 63 Tim Peterson

Well for the second time in these rankings, there is going to be a player with a negative WAR with the Mets. The reason for that is Chris Schwinden, Gabriel Ynoa, and Tim Peterson are the only players to wear the number 63 with the Mets, and they all have a negative career WAR with the Mets.

Of that group, Peterson has had a bigger impact on the Mets, and as a result, he is the best Mets player to ever wear the number.

While Peterson has a negative WAR, he has had some fine stretches as a member of the Mets bullpen. When he first debuted in 2018, he would have a 1.59 ERA over his first eight appearances and a 2.93 over his first 12 appearances with the Mets. That would include his picking up his first Major League win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in an extra inning game.

Peterson would impress in Spring Training the following season, and he would claim a spot in the Opening Day Major League bullpen. Peterson did more than enough to justify this decision starting the year off with three scoreless appearances. After one poor outing, he was sent down to the minors, and he would make just two more relief appearances in a Mets uniform. After that season, he opted for free agency after being designated for assignment, and he is looking for his next opportunity. Until that point, or until someone else comes along, he is going to be the best Mets player to ever wear the number 63.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia
59. Fernando Salas
60. Scott Schoeneweis
61. Dana Eveland
62. Drew Smith

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Best Mets Of All Time: No. 62 Drew Smith

When the Mets team which won the pennant had came to an earlier than expected end of their window, the first big move the organization made was obtaining Drew Smith from the Tamp Bay Rays for Lucas Duda. In Smith, the Mets obtained a coveted and well regarded minor league relief prospect. In the summer of obtaining right-handed relievers, Smith stood above the rest.

Less than year after the trade, he would make his Major League debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’d pitch a scoreless inning and record his first Major League strikeout.

A little over two months later, Smith would pick up his first Major League win against the Dodgers. Overall, in that season, Smith would make 27 appearances going 1-1 with a 3.54 ERA and a 3.00 K/BB while accumulating a 0.5 WAR. It may seem like much but with Erik Goeddel having more than three times the appearances of Smith and having a 0.7 WAR, it would seem Smith is the better player of the two and the four players in Mets history to wear the number 62.

As an aside, Smith suffered a torn UCL and needed Tommy John surgery during Spring Training in 2019. Whenever baseball is able to come back in 2020 (or 2021), Smith is going to get his chance to claim a spot in the bullpen, step on the mound again, and further cement his case he is the best Mets player to ever wear the number 62.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia
59. Fernando Salas
60. Scott Schoeneweis
61. Dana Eveland

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Best Mets Of All-Time: No. 61 Dana Eveland

Look, Jesse Orosco is clearly the best Met to ever wear the number 61. However, he only wore that number for one season in 1979, and he would not do much of anything in 18 appearances. Everything great he did in a Mets uniform came when he wore the number 47, which you can read more about by clicking on the link below.

In terms of how a Mets player performed while wearing the number 60, it should seem out of the 10 Mets players to wear the number, Dana Eveland performed best while wearing the number.

After pitching overseas for the 2013 season, Eveland returned stateside on a minor league deal with the Mets. Eveland would spend the first two months of the season with Triple-A Las Vegas before the Mets needed him for the bullpen. He was immediately thrown into the fire.

With two on and nobody out, he got Chase Utley to fly out before striking out Ryan Howard before handing the ball to Jeurys Familia to end that jam. For the performance, he earned a hold. Through the first two months of his getting called-up, he would have a 2.00 ERA.

Over the course of that 2014 season, Eveland would go 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA and a 1.098 WHIP while recording his second ever Major League save. Eveland would post a career best 133 ERA+. His 3.21 FIP was the second best mark in his career. Overall, he had a 0.4 WAR which was the third best mark of his career and the best mark out of any Mets player who has ever worn the number 61.

As a result, while Orosco is the best Mets player to ever wear the number 61, it is Eveland who has performed the best while wearing the number making him the best 61 in team history.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia
59. Fernando Salas
60. Scott Schoeneweis

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Best Mets Of All Time: No. 60 Scott Schoeneweis

As we have seen through this list of the Best Mets of All-Time, we see the choices for some uniform numbers are quite limited, and that is certainly the case with the number 60. The last to wear is was P.J. Conlon who made team history by being the first Irish born player to play for the team, and really the first in the Majors in nearly a century.

There was also Jon Rauch, who had two claims to fame. The first was surpassing Eric Hillman by an inch to become the tallest player in Mets history. The next was his dousing Matt Harvey in ice water as a way to haze the rookie. Other than that, his Mets career was productive (o.4 WAR) but relatively unremarkable.

Then, there is Scott Schoeneweis who had a very complicated two years with his hometown team.

His first season with the Mets was simply a struggle, which was due in large part to a severed tendon in his knee. To his credit, he gutted it out and continued pitching in what was an increasingly depleted Mets bullpen. It should also be noted he did exactly what he was signed to do.

In 2007, Schoeneweis limited left-handed batters to a .204/.208/.247 batting line notably not allowing a single homer and just four extra base hits. It needs to be noted even in a season where he really struggled and dealt with injuries his .262 wOBA against left-handed hitters was the best in the National League.

In fact, from 2007 – 2008, Schoenweis’ .249 wOBA was the second best in the Majors among those who had more than 50 IP against left-handed batters. Simply put, Schoeneweis was signed to be a left-handed pitcher in the bullpen to get left-handed batters out. If he had been limited to just doing that, perhaps his Mets career would have gone better.

For what it is worth, he was much better in 2008 with a healthy knee. In that season, he was 2-6 with a 3.34 ERA. Again, it should be noted he did the job he was supposed to do in getting left-handed batters out. In a memorable scene, he and Billy Wagner would also help the grounds crew get the tarp on the field.

In terms of Schoeneweis, while injured he was durable making 70+ appearances in consecutive seasons en route to becoming just one of four MLB pitchers to accomplish that feat from 2005 – 2008.

Unfortunately for Schoeneweis, he is not going to be primarily known for getting left-handed batters out, his durability, or for his helping get the tarp on the field. No, his lasting image as a Mets pitcher is his surrendering a home run to the right-handed hittin Wes Helms, who had pinch hit for the left-handed hitting Mike Jacobs on the final game of the 2008 season. That made him the losing pitcher in the final game ever played in Shea Stadium.

Despite that, Schoeneweis posted a respectable 0.8 WAR for a LOOGY in 2008. That’s the highest WAR out of any of the three players who has worn 60 with the Mets, and that is why he is the best Mets player to ever wear that number.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia
59. Fernando Salas

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Best Mets Of All Time: No. 59 Fernando Salas

When it comes to the number 59 in Mets history, there are a lot of bad memories. That started with the first to wear it, Guillermo Mota, shaking off Paul Lo Duca and throwing a pitch which would change the entire course of the 2006 NLCS.

After Mota, there was Josh Smoker who had durability issues, and Antonio Bastardo. Bastrardo struggled so much the Mets actually welcomed back Jon Niese. That brings us to Fernando Salas, who was one of the few players to do something positive in a Mets uniform.

The Mets had obtained Salas from the Los Angeles Angels at the end of the waiver trade deadline. At that point, the Mets were 1.5 games of the Wild Card, and they were in desperate need of bullpen help. Like Addison Reed the year before, Salas was great over the final month of the season.

In 17 appearances, Salas was 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA, 0.635 WHIP, and a 9.9 K/9. Remarkably, he did not walk one batter while striking out 19 batters. Over that stretch, no one in the league made more appearances than he did, and he would have the seventh best WHIP. Overall, he proved to be the missing key to that bullpen which helped the Mets go from the outside looking in for the 2016 postseason.

Salas would return to the Mets after signing a deal in the offseason. He got off to a hot start with seven scoreless appearances and a 2.89 ERA over his first nine. However, he would eventually wilt after Terry Collins kept going to the whip with him. After his struggles, he was released a few weeks prior to the anniversary of the day the Mets obtained him.

While things did not end well, and Salas was not up to the rigors of pitching in the bullpen for Collins, he was everything the Mets needed him to be in 2016. It is very likely without Salas’ performance in 2016, the Mets might’ve missed a Wild Card they claimed by just one game over the St. Louis Cardinals. For that 2016 performance, he is the best Mets player to ever wear the number 59.

Previous

1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
40. Bartolo Colon
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. R.A. Dickey
44. David Cone
45. Tug McGraw
46. Oliver Perez
47. Jesse Orosco
48. Jacob deGrom
49. Armando Benitez
50. Sid Fernandez
51. Rick White
52. Yoenis Cespedes
53. Chad Bradford
54. T.J. Rivera
55. Orel Hershiser
56. Andres Torres
57. Johan Santana
58. Jenrry Mejia

 

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