New York Mets All-Time Starting Lineup/Roster

Whether it be players of the past decade to those from the 1969 Amazin’ Mets team, this New York Mets lineup seems a bit underrated. They lead off with one of the most prolific base stealers in Jose Reyes who ranks 33rd all time. Following him are some beloved Mets and excellent dcontact and power bats. There’s really no holes in this lineup and to top it off, they have a great ace in Tom Seaver taking the mound.

Starting Lineup

1. Jose Reyes, SS (S)
2. David Wright, 3B (R)
3. Darryl Strawberry, RF (L)
4. Mike Piazza, C (R)
5. Carlos Beltran, CF (S)
6. Edgardo Alfonzo, 2B (R)
7. Keith Hernandez, 1B (L)
8. Cleon Jones, LF (R)
9. Tom Seaver, P (R)
Manager: Harvey Kuenn

Catcher

Mike Piazza
1998-05: 532 Runs, 220 HR, 655 RBI, 7 SB, .296 BA/.373 OBP/.542 SLG

After coming over from the Dodgers, Mike Piazza seemed to never miss a beat. He continued his dominance at the plate and was selected to 6 more All Star games as a Met. The batting profile remained elite, especially considering his position and the power numbers didn’t falter until later in his career. Piazza is the ideal catcher for any team and he’s more than deserving of a good spot in the lineup.

Honorable Mentions: John Stearns, Jerry Grote, Todd Hundley

First Baseman

Keith Hernandez
1983-89: 455 Runs, 80 HR, 468 RBI, 81 SB, .297 BA/.387 OBP/.429 SLG

While the bulk of his time came with the Cardinals franchise, Keith Hernandez will be on the Mets lineup as he would’ve been relegated to bench duties in St. Louis. Even after coming over, Hernandez remained an elite defensive player and would win 5 straight Gold Gloves with New York. At the plate, he gained a bit more power and was an efficient RBI man for the Mets. He also drew a lot of walks each season and overall, found a way to get on base that will be very useful for this lineup.

Honorable Mentions: Dave Magadan, Lee Mazzilli

Second Baseman

Edgardo Alfonzo
1995-02: 614 Runs, 120 HR, 538 RBI, 45 SB, .292 BA/.367 OBP/.445 SLG

Starting at second for New York is Edgardo Alfonzo. A fairly unheard of name to most, Alfonzo quietly put together some solid seasons in the late 1990s when hitting was at an all time high. He was a decent fielder at second and displayed a very good mix of power and average. It’s a shame he was only selected to a lone All Star Game in 2000 even though his numbers showed how talented he was. He won’t be the most dangerous hitter on the team but you definitely can’t forget about him.

Honorable Mentions: Daniel Murphy, Wally Backman

Shortstop

Jose Reyes
2003-11: 885 Runs, 108 HR, 521 RBI, 408 SB, .282 BA/.334 OBP/.433 SLG

The starting shortstop for the Mets will be one of the most prolific base stealers in club history. Jose Reyes earned himself 4 All Star selections and even a batting title in 2011. While, the offensive minded shortstop was also good at defense, his calling card was speed. He led the league in steals in three consecutive years and will always be remembered as one of their best ever #1 hitters. That’s exactly where he’ll be in this lineup as New York will look for him to get on base and run.

Honorable Mentions:Bud Harrelson

Third Baseman

David Wright
2004-16, 18: 949 Runs, 242 HR, 970 RBI, 196 SB, .296 BA/.376 OBP/.491 SLG

Nicknames Captain America, David Wright was truly a player for everyone. Whether you were a Mets fan, a Yankees fan, or support any other team, there’s no reason you don’t like Wright. He had one of the best personalities both on and off the field and was one of the best players to watch during his prime. However, back injuries continually kept him out and after a long, unsuccessful road to recovery, he called it quits in 2018. During his time in the bigs, Wright was one of the best all around players ever and will always be remembered as such in the Queens.

Honorable Mentions: Howard Johnson, John Olerud, Wayne Garrett

Left Fielder

Cleon Jones
1963, 65-75: 563 Runs, 93 HR, 521 RBI, 91 SB, .281 BA/.340 OBP/.406 SLG

Cleon Jones is the man for left field and surprisingly, the only hitter in the lineup that was part of the 1969 Amazin’ Mets team. An All Star only once, Jones was known for his great bat during his prime and speed. In the famed 1969 season, he hit .340 and scored a career high 92 runs. For his career, Jones was more of a good hitter than an actual superstar. His stats show a very steady player who’s consistency is something we can always rely on.

Honorable Mentions: Kevin McReynolds, John Milner, Yoenis Cespedes

Center Fielder

Carlos Beltran
2005-11: 551 Runs, 149 HR, 559 RBI, 100 SB, .280 BA/.369 OBP/.500 SLG

Patrolling center field for the Mets will be Carlos Beltran. After coming over from the Royals, he remained an elite force at both sides of the plate and hit to all fields. He had monster home run seasons in 2006, 07, and 08 before injuries limited his playing time in the years after. Beltran was a truly remarkable athlete in the outfield and utilized his speed in all aspects of his game. He won three straight Gold Gloves and recorded five straight double digit steals seasons in New York. He would help the Mets once more when he was dealt in the 2011 trade deadline to the Giants for Zack Wheeler, giving the Mets a potentially lethal rotation at one point.

Honorable Mentions: Mookie Wilson, Lenny Dykstra, Tommie Agee

Right Fielder

Darryl Strawberry
1983-90: 662 Runs, 252 HR, 733 RBI, 214 SB, .298 BA/.360 OBP/.533 SLG

Finishing off the outfield is Darryl Strawberry who quickly became a Mets hero during the 1980s. In his career, Strawberry won four World Series rings though three of them have the other New York team’s symbol. However, once he departed the Mets, Strawberry’s career took a turn for the worse as he lost his starting job and became a backup the rest of his career. With the Mets, Strawberry was a monster power bat in the middle of the lineup and always found himself in critical situations. Look for more run scoring and RBI opportunities from his spot in the lineup.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Conforto, Bobby Bonilla

Pitcher

Tom Seaver
1967-77: 198-124 Record, 2.57 ERA, 7.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9

The second player from the 1969 Amazin’ Mets team is pitcher Tom Seaver. The Hall of Famer was one of the best to ever do it in the game and was awarded with 3 Cy Young’s over his career. He led the league in ERA 3 times and was one of the most dominant pitchers in the late 60s and early 70s. He’s easily a top 10 to 15 pitcher of all time and his legacy in New York will always be remembered.

Honorable Mentions: Dwight Gooden, Jacob DeGrom, Jerry Koosman

Manager

Davey Johnson

While Gil Hodges was the man who led the Mets to their improbable championship in 1969, the pick at manager is the club’s winningest skipper, Davey Johnson. With New York, he turned the team around from a club that had seven straight losing seasons to five straight seasons of at least 90 wins. He led the club to their second franchise World Series victory in 1986 looked to be doing a great job at the helm. However, constant disagreements with management and a poor start to the 1990 season would eventually led to the end of his tenure with the team.