Trivia
On Monday, the Mets played their first ever game at SunTrust Park meaning the Mets would no longer have to face the Braves at the House of Horrors that is Turner Field. During the game, the Mets set a number of firsts in the ballpark including their first home run there. The home run in that game was the 58th ballpark the Mets have hit a home run in. Can you name the Mets player who first homered in each park? Good luck!
Gil Hodges Frank Thomas Joe Christopher Cliff Cook Marv Throneberry Gene Woodling Ron Hunt Ron Swoboda Ed Kranepool Donn Clendenon Cleon Jones Tommie Agee Ken Boswell John Stearns Dave Kingman Lenny Dykstra Jeromy Burnitz Jeff Kent Rico Brogna Bernard Gilkey Matt Franco Brian McRae Manny Alexander Matt Franco Mike Piazza Todd Zeile Edgardo Alfonzo Robin Ventura Edgardo Alfonzo Tony Clark Jason Phillips Timo Perez Gerald Williams Carlos Beltran Jose Reyes David Wright John Buck Ike Davis Gary Sheffield Cliff Floyd Daniel Garcia
Overall, the tale of Rafael Montero is one of unfulfilled potential. Since at least 2014, the Mets have been tantalized by that potential, and they have given him chance after chance to succeed in the majors. Their reward this year is Montero struggling yet again going 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA, 3.600 WHIP, and a 10.8 BB/9.
In his wake, Montero has left behind a number of Mets pitchers. Some are gone because they were needed to be traded to bulk up the 2015 team to make a postseason run. Others are simply gone because the Mets valued Montero higher than them. The Mets were right in some instances, and wrong in others. Can you name the 32 pitchers who have pitched in the majors since Montero’s call-up in 2014 that are no longer a part of the Mets organization? Good luck!
Gabriel Ynoa Logan Verrett Bartolo Colon Jon Niese Jim Henderson Dario Alvarez Antonio Bastardo Akeel Morris Carlos Torres Buddy Carlyle Eric O’Flaherty Bobby Parnell Tyler Clippard Alex Torres Tim Stauffer Matthew Bowman Jack Leathersich Dillon Gee Michael Fulmer Luis Cessa John Gant Robert Whalen Vic Black Cory Mazzoni Daisuke Matsuzaka Gonzalez German Dana Eveland Jose Valverde Kyle Farnsworth John Lannan
Watching Yoenis Cespedes launch three home runs in Citizen’s Bank Park, you are reminded why you believe he will one day win a National League MVP Award. If he does that, he will be the first ever Mets player to accomplish that feat.
That’s not to say he would be the first ever that was deserving. If you go to Baseball Reference and hold your mouse over the WAR column on a player’s page, it will tell you players who accumulate a WAR of 8.0 or more are MVP caliber. Can you name the Mets position players who have done that? Good luck!
Last year, we saw players like Seth Lugo graduate from prospect status as he played enough innings to no longer qualify as a rookie. If he qualified, he would have been highly ranked on the Mets top prospect list heading into this season. Do you know who the top 25 prospects are in the Mets farm system right now? Good luck!
Nabil Crismatt Harol Gonzalez David Thompson P.J. Conlon Ricardo Cespedes Josh Smoker Chris Flexen Gregory Guerrero Merandy Gonzalez Luis Carpio T.J. Rivera Ali Sanchez Marcos Molina Peter Alonso Wuilmer Becerra Tomas Nido Andres Gimenez Brandon Nimmo Gavin Cecchini Justin Dunn Desmond Lindsay Thomas Szapucki Robert Gsellman Dominic Smith Amed Rosario Gabriel Ynoa
Watching Michael Conforto rake during Spring Training, you can once again imagine him becoming the MVP candidate we all thought he was going to be when he was hitting home runs in the World Series. The only things in his way right now are his manager Terry Collins and Jay Bruce. If those hurdles are cleared, it is possible that Conforto could well emerge as the best oufielder on the Mets.
If he does, he will join a varied group of Mets outfielders who put up the best season in the outfield. From year to year, there have been good seasons to MVP caliber seasons to nothing to write home about. Can you name the best outfielders on the Mets since 2000? Good luck!
Jay Payton Tsuyoshi Shinjo Cliff Floyd Mike Cameron Carlos Beltran Angel Pagan Scott Hairston Marlon Byrd Juan Lagares Curtis Granderson Yoenis Cespedes
With the Las Vegas 51s prospectively having an Opening Day lineup that includes Dominic Smith, Gavin Cecchini, T.J. Rivera, and Amed Rosario, the Mets infield can look radically different in 2018. It certainly creates the possibility the Mets will once again have a new middle infield combination to open that season.
Can you name the Mets Opening Day double play combinations since 2000? Good luck!
Edgardo Alfonzo Rey Ordonez Roberto Alomar Rey Sanchez Ricky Gutierrez Kazuo Matsui Jose Reyes Anderson Hernandez Jose Valentin Luis Castillo Alex Cora Brad Emaus Daniel Murphy Ruben Tejada Eric Young Wilmer Flores Asdrubal Cabrera Neil Walker
With the Mets trying to decide what to do with pitchers like Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, it is likely the Mets are going to need both of them to make starts at different parts of the year as no team goes through the season with just five starters. To that end, the Mets have used 31 pitchers since Sandy Alderson took over as general manager.
Can you name the Mets pitchers who have made the most starts in that stretch? Good luck!
Jon Niese Dillon Gee Bartolo Colon Matt Harvey Jacob deGrom R.A. Dickey Noah Syndergaard Zack Wheeler Mike Pelfrey Jeremy Hefner
As Pitchers and Catchers report on Monday, there is likely going to be a position battle for the fifth starter spot. This spot once belonged to Zack Wheeler, but now given his having missed the past two seasons, his spot in the rotation is in jeopardy leaving him to fight for a spot in the rotation with two other pitchers. Likely, the two pitchers who lose the fifth starters competition will wind up in the bullpen. Given what the health has been for the Mets starting pitchers over the past two seasons, we will very likely see starters make relief appearances and relievers being forced to make a starter or two.
This practice has been fairly common ground during the Sandy Alderson Era. Can you name the pitchers who have both started games and made relief appearance(s) for the Mets since 2011? Good luck!
R.A. Dickey Mike Pelfrey Chris Capuano Dillon Gee Jon Niese D.J. Carrasco Miguel Batista Jeremy Hefner Chris Schwinden Shaun Marcum Carlos Torres Aaron Laffey Collin McHugh Jenrry Mejia Daisuke Matsuzaka Rafael Montero Bartolo Colon Sean Gilmartin Logan Verrett Noah Syndergaard Seth Lugo Robert Gsellman Gabriel Ynoa