Manager Davey Johnson had some success here, too, guiding the 1986 squad to victory. Johnson's Mets finished first or second in the NL East every season with him at the helm.
New York's All-Time lineup has a good balance of speed, power, and defense.
Johnson gave Johnson an opportunity to compete for the starting DH spot, and brought in some more outfield depth:
The switch-hitting HoJo edged out Lucas Duda in a very close race.
With all the new talent in New York, Rusty Staub was released to pursue a role with the Barnstormers.
Is the Polar Bear ready yet? Ed Kranepool played more games than any other player in Mets history but his replacement-level production can't match up to Lucas Duda or Pete Alonso. Jeff McNeil has played fewer games than Alonso, over one more season. His high batting average and versatility are enough to earn a spot over light-hitting defensive infielders like Bud Harrelson and Rey Ordonez.
Nimmo and Conforto couldn't push Cleon Jones to the bench, but they squeezed Staub off the roster. Will Kevin McReynolds also get the axe?
Nimmo's on-base percentage ranks fourth-highest in Mets history, but he's played 150 fewer games for the club than his competitors. Conforto can't add to his Mets totals; he signed with San Francisco in the off-season. Nimmo and McReynolds get the reserve outfield spot. Pete Alonso makes the team but he won't start at first base or DH. Think of him as a top draft pick or "bonus baby"; he's on the roster but needs more experience before he can play every day.
The Mets' starting pitching depth has enough quality arms for two five-man rotations.
Seaver, Gooden, deGrom, and Koosman are locked into the "A" rotation, while their "B" rotation would be top-tier for some franchises: Sid Fernandez, Jon Matlack, Noah Syndergaard, and Ron Darling.
And then there's the two aces in the middle: David Cone and Al Leiter. Which way do they go?
Cone keeps his spot as Davey Johnson's fifth starter.
The Mets' bullpen could get a boost with some newly-eligible arms, including closer Edwin Diaz.
Don't bring out Timmy Trumpet just yet though. Diaz' Mets tenure has been a mixed bag: one awful year, one pandemic-shortened year, two great years, and now a lost year due to a knee injury he suffered at the WBC. Seth Lugo enters the mix and gives Davey Johnson another difficult decision:
Lockwood locks it down. If these rosters expanded to 26 players [or I decided to do All-Time Teams 3.0] Lugo would almost certainly make the team. Overall, this was perhaps the toughest roster re-evaluation yet.
Looking ahead, Francisco Lindor has a chance to push for a spot on this roster in a few years. Like Diaz, his Mets tenure has been uneven so far. "Mr. Smile" is the Mets' only everyday starter under 30 - aside from Alonso.
Looking way ahead, catcher Francisco Alvarez and third baseman Brett Baty debuted for the Mets in 2022 and enter 2023 as two of the game's top-20 prospects.
TL; DR: Three changes from the original roster. Duda, Kranepool, and Staub out. Alonso, McNeil, and Nimmo in.
Come back tomorrow for our next All-Time roster, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Thanks for reading!
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Credit P-Town Tom as the guy who originally suggested HoJo for DH. That's a good move.
ReplyDeleteIt's very exciting that we're a team with current players grabbing slots on the all-time team! Three newcomers all of who are there now, and a couple other current guys who might make it before too long, not to mention those prospects. The Mets have always been good at developing pitchers, but apart from Strawberry, Wright, and maybe Reyes, we haven't brought up our share of big-time position players. With the three new additions and guys like Baty and Álvarez (who is supposed to get his second start at catcher tomorrow) coming up, it's a good time to be a Mets fan.
RIP Hobie Landrith, the very first player selected by the Mets.
Interesting that the two championship teams are barely represented in the starting lineup
ReplyDeleteWith the addition of Johnson that's actually three from the 1986 in the lineup. Only one from 1969 though.
DeleteWow, forgotten some of the big name pitchers that had gone through this team.
ReplyDeleteStaub out? I feel like some fans will be bummed to see that... but maybe he'll end up on the Expos all-time team.
ReplyDeleteCan't argue with the three who moved in. I don't pay much attention to McNeil, but he's quietly very good.
ReplyDeleteThat Nimmo card is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI don't really follow the Mets super close but that looks like a really solid roster!
ReplyDeleteSurprised Duda made it to the first version of the All Time Team.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I had to do a double take myself..
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