This is my 3rd installment in the All Time Team series. Previously I've selected the all time team for the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants.

As with the Yankees and Mets teams I will be choosing the greatest Met at each position based solely on his contributions to the Mets. In other words I would not be including Pedro Martinez at pitcher due to his years with the Red Sox and Expos.

The Mets having begun play in only 1962 have a much shorter history than the Yankees and Giants which should make choosing their all time team somewhat easier. They won the World Series in 1969 and 1986.

The All Time New York Mets Team (With Career Mets Stats)

First Base - Keith Hernandez (.297 Avg, 80 Home Runs, 468 RBI, .387 OBP, .429 SLG, 130 OPS+)

Some know Keith best for his Just For Men TV commercials or his guest appearance on Seinfeld but Hernandez was a fixture at first base for the Mets during the 80s including during their championship season of 1986. His best seasons with the Mets were '84, '85, and '86 when he hit .311, .309, and .310 respectively. His best year in his career came with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980 when he won the MVP award with a .344 batting average. While Hernandez did not have great power (his career high was 18 homers) his career Mets OPS+ of 130 shows that he was a great hitter when taking into account the lower power numbers of the era in general.

Second Base - Edgardo Alfonzo (.292 AVG, 120 Home Runs, 538 RBI, .367 OBP, .445 SLG, 114 OPS+)

Alfonzo had some good years for the Mets in the late 90s and early 00s. His best season came in 2000 when he made the All Star team for the only time hitting .324 with 25 home runs. Alfonzo also played a lot of games at third base for the Mets.

Shortstop - Jose Reyes (.288 AVG, 35 Home Runs, 213 RBI, .331 OBP, .430 SLG, 99 OPS+)

Reyes has very little competition as this position which is why I've already chosen him as the Mets all time best shortstop. The Mets career leaders in games played at the shortstop position; Bud Harrelson and Rey Ordonez were both awful hitters. Reyes best season of his career thus far was last year in 2006 when he hit .300 with 19 home runs and stole 64 bases. Reyes is already 4th on the Mets all time stolen bases leaders and will probably be second by the All Star break.

Third Base - Howard Johnson (.251 AVG, 192 Home Runs, 629 RBI, .341 OBP, .459 SLG, 124 OPS+)

If David Wright can keep up what he's doing now he'll probably overtake Johnson sooner rather than later but for now I have to give this position to Johnson. Johnson is 3rd all time on the Mets home run & RBI leader board. While his career rate stats look somewhat anemic by current standards one again has to understand the era that he played most of his career in. His career Mets OPS+ of 124 tells a truer story of his ability as a hitter. Also consider that HoJo holds the Mets single season OPS+ record of 169 in 1989 when he hit 36 home runs with a .287 batting average.

Catcher - Mike Piazza (.296 AVG, 220 Home Runs, 655 RBI, .373 OBP, .542 SLG, 137 OPS+)

Piazza is second all time on the Mets home run & RBI leader boards and leads the Mets in career slugging percentage. Piazza's best year with the Mets came in 2000 when he hit .324 with 38 home runs. Although Piazza was even better when he was with the Dodgers, his career with the Mets easily makes him the Mets greatest catcher. All apologies to Gary Carter but when you look at the numbers it isn't close. Carter also had his best years for another team (the Expos in Carter's case.)

Outfield - Darryl Strawberry (.263 AVG, .359 OBP, .520 SLG, 252 Home Runs, 733 RBI, 145 OPS+)

Strawberry is the Mets all time leader in Home Runs, RBI, and OPS+. Strawberry's best years came in 1987 and 1988. Although he had better numbers in '87 his '88 season was probably more impressive due to '87 being a hitter's year. In '88 he finished second in the MVP voting and had a 165 OPS+. He did become a member of the 30-30 club in 1987 when he had 39 home runs and 37 stolen bases. Strawberry is 3rd on the Mets career list with 191 stolen bases. Although Strawberry's career went downhill fast in the 1990s he was one of the best power hitters of the 1980s.

Outfield - Cleon Jones (.281 AVG, 93 Home Runs, 521 RBI, .340 OBP, .406 SLG, 111 OPS+)

Jones was instrumental in the "Miracle Mets" 1969 World Series win. He hit a career high .340 that season with a 151 OPS+. Jones played all but 12 games of his career for the Mets.

Outfield - Kevin McReynolds (.272 AVG, 122 Home Runs, 456 RBI, .331 OBP, .460 SLG, 120 OPS+)

McReynolds best year came in 1988 when he hit .288 with 27 home runs and finished 3rd in the MVP voting. Again you have to take into consideration the era. McReynolds had a 142 OPS+ that year.

Starting Pitcher - Tom Seaver (198 Wins, 2.57 ERA, 136 ERA+)

Seaver is the Mets all time leader in Wins, Complete Games, Shutouts, Strikeouts, ERA, and ERA+. Seaver's best year was 1969 when he won the Cy Young award with a 25-7 record and a 2.21 ERA while leading the Mets to the World Series. Seaver won two more Cy Young awards with the Mets; one in 1973 when he had 19 wins and a 2.08 ERA and another in 1975 22-9 with a 2.38 ERA.

Starting Pitcher - Dwight Gooden (157 wins, 3.10 ERA, 115 ERA+)

While Tom Seaver had a more consistent career for the Mets no other Mets pitcher ever hit quite the peak that Dwight Gooden did in 1985 when he had one of the greatest single pitching seasons in the history of the Major Leagues with a 24-4 record and a 1.53 ERA. His ERA+ of 226 in '85 has been bettered by only Pedro Martinez ('99 and '00), Greg Maddux ('94 and '95), and Bob Gibson ('68) among single seasons since 1920. Despite never again reaching the incredible heights of 1985 Gooden did have many more good seasons for the Mets and is second all time on the Mets career wins leader board. He was also a key element of their 1986 championship team going 17-6 with a 2.84 ERA.

Starting Pitcher - Jerry Koosman (140 Wins, 3.09 ERA, 114 ERA+)

Koosman's best year came in 1969 when he helped the "Miracle Mets" get to and win the World Series. He won 17 games that year with a 2.28 ERA and a career best 161 ERA+. He went 2-0 in the 1969 World Series with a 2.04 ERA. He had another great year in 1976 when he won 21 games with a 2.69 ERA and finished second in the Cy Young voting.

Starting Pitcher - David Cone (81 Wins, 3.13 ERA, 112 ERA+)

Cone's best year came in 1988 when he went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA. He's the Mets career leader in Strikeouts per 9 innings at 8.72 S0/9.

Relief Pitcher - John Franco (276 Saves)

Franco was with the Mets from 1990 through 2004 and is the Mets career leader in Saves. His best single season for saves with the Mets was 1998 when he had 38.

Labels: All Time Team, New York Mets