With just two World Series titles in 63 full seasons, the New York Mets are more often the butt of the joke among MLB fans than a team that's celebrated. With limited overall success, it'd be understandable to assume the franchise lacks talent. But that's very much not the case
The Mets might not have many of the best teams in baseball history, but they've had their share of stars, particularly on the pitching side. With that in mind, naming guys like Seaver, Gooden and deGrom on a list of the greatest Mets players ever is easy — but what about ranking them up against each other? Here's a look at the top 20 players to ever don the blue and orange.
1. RHP Tom Seaver (1967-1977, 1983)
Mets stats: 76.1 bWAR, 198-124, 3,045.2 IP, 2.57 ERA, 2.67 FIP
Mets resume: 3x Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, 10x All-Star, 3x ERA title, one World Series win
Tom Seaver is one of the 10 or 15 greatest pitchers in MLB history, if not even better than that. From a Mets perspective, there's nobody better. Nobody even close. Seaver won three Cy Young Awards and three ERA titles in parts of 12 seasons with the team, and not only did he lead them to a World Series title in 1969, he nearly did it again in 1973.
Seaver brought the Mets to relevance when they were still fledgling, and he has a statue outside of Citi Field to show just how respected he was. Ultimately, Seaver's nickname is "The Franchise" for a reason.
2. 3B David Wright (2004-2018)
Mets stats: 49.1 bWAR, .296/.376/.491, 242 HR, 970 RBI
Mets resume: 7x All-Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
The Mets don't have a rich history when it comes to developing high-end position player talent, but David Wright is as good as it gets in that regard. Wright is the franchise's leader in bWAR, hits, total bases and RBI, and he ranks in the top five in just about every other important statistical category.
If it weren't for nightmarish dimensions when Citi Field first opened and brutal injury luck as his career progressed, Wright could've found himself in Cooperstown when he hung up the spikes. While he never won a World Series with the franchise, Wright was a career Met, became a captain and watched his No. 5 get retired in 2025. He leads the franchise in just about every major offensive statistic other than home runs. No matter how you slice it, Wright is the greatest position player in franchise history.
3. RHP Jacob deGrom (2014-2022)
Mets stats: 41.2 bWAR, 82-57, 1,539.2 IP, 2.52 ERA, 2.71 FIP
Mets resume: 2x Cy Young, ROY, 4x All-Star, 1x ERA title
Jacob deGrom came out of nowhere. A ninth-round pick out of Stetson University, deGrom was an afterthought pretty much right up to the point when he was called up to the Majors in 2014. Heck, his first MLB stint was supposed to be in relief before the Mets pivoted to using him as a spot starter. It was smooth sailing from there, though, as deGrom won the NL Rookie of the Year award that same season, was arguably their best starter on their pennant-winning team in 2015 and eventually became the best pitcher in baseball at his peak.
deGrom won back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019, and if it weren't for some injury-plagued years after that, he could've added even more hardware to his trophy case. deGrom's 2021 season, which saw him put up a video game-like 1.08 ERA and strike out 148 batters compared to 11 walks in 15 starts and 92 innings, was as dominant as any half-season in MLB history.
He wasn't even a Met for a full decade, but deGrom's numbers and accomplishments were so good to the point where it'd be naive not to consider him a top-three Met ever. His No. 48 should be retired whenever he calls his playing career quits.
4. RHP Dwight Gooden (1984-1994)
Mets stats: 41.6 bWAR, 157-85, 2,169.2 IP, 3.10 ERA, 2.77 FIP
Mets resume: Cy Young Award, ROY, 4x All-Star, ERA title, one World Series title
deGrom is the most dominant pitcher I've ever seen, but part of that likely has to do with not being old enough to have watched Dwight Gooden in the 1980s. Nicknamed Dr. K, Gooden got off to as good a start as any pitcher ever has: He was the NL Cy Young runner-up in 1984, and followed that up with one of the greatest seasons ever in 1985 (as a 20-year-old, no less) and a World Series win in 1986.
Off-field issues impacted his career greatly, but Gooden's peak was good enough to have his number retired and entrench himself as one of the greatest players in franchise history.
5. OF Darryl Strawberry (1983-1990)
Mets stats: 36.6 bWAR, .259/.357/.505, 252 HR, 733 RBI
Mets resume: ROY, 7x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, one World Series win
Darryl Strawberry was a Met for eight seasons and was an All-Star in seven of them. The only year in which he wasn't saw him win the NL Rookie of the Year award. While Strawberry didn't play in New York long enough to hold many of the franchise's records, he was the Mets' all-time home run leader for nearly four decades until Pete Alonso dethroned him in 2025.
Strawberry came as close as any Met has to winning an MVP award in 1988, and two years prior he was one of the stars on the 1986 World Series-winning team. His number is retired, and as is the case with Gooden, he might've ended up in Cooperstown if it weren't for off-field issues.
6. LHP Jerry Koosman (1967-1978)
Mets stats: 39.5 bWAR, 140-137, 2,544.2 IP, 3.09 ERA, 3.12 FIP
Mets resume: 2x All-Star, one World Series win
It was easy for MLB fans to overlook Jerry Koosman, who spent nearly his entire Mets tenure in the same rotation as Tom Seaver. But while Koosman wasn't quite as good as his teammate, he was pretty darn close.
He's thrown the second-most innings in Mets history, trailing only Seaver, and he ranks in the top five in just about every important pitching category. As if his regular season numbers weren't impressive enough, Koosman won two of the four World Series games for New York in 1969, including a complete game performance in the series-clinching contest.
7. OF Carlos Beltran (2005-2011)
Mets stats: 31.1 bWAR, .280/.369/.500, 149 HR, 559 RBI
Mets resume: 5x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
The Mets gave Carlos Beltran a truckload of money as a free agent to try and lead them to glory, and while he never ultimately won a World Series with the team, his production was worth every penny and then some. Not only was Beltran an MVP-caliber hitter, but he was an elite defensive center fielder as well, making him arguably the best two-way player in franchise history.
Mets fans overlook Beltran mostly because he left the bat on his shoulders in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, but his numbers in Queens speak for themselves. There's a reason that when he gets inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026, he'll be wearing a Mets cap on his plaque.
8. C Mike Piazza (1998-2005)
Mets stats: 24.6 bWAR, .296/.373/.542, 220 HR, 665 RBI
Mets resume: 6x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger
Just a week after the Marlins traded for him, the Mets acquired Mike Piazza from their division rivals and instantly benefitted. Sure, Piazza did get off to a bit of a slow start, but he finished the 1998 season on a tear and never looked back. He led the Mets to the playoffs in 1999 and to the World Series in 2000, all while putting up some ridiculous offensive numbers at the catcher position.
Piazza came through in seemingly every clutch moment, most notably in the first game after 9/11 in 2001, and remains a fan favorite in Flushing. Piazza is the greatest hitting catcher in MLB history, and he's wearing a Mets cap on his plaque in Cooperstown. Need I say more?
9. 1B Keith Hernandez (1983-1989)
Mets stats: 26.6 bWAR, .297/.387/.429, 80 HR, 468 RBI
Mets resume: 3x All-Star, 6x Gold Glove, 1x Silver Slugger, 1 World Series win
Keith Hernandez was not thrilled when the St. Louis Cardinals traded him to the Mets in 1983, but the deal, much like the Piazza trade, was an instant success. Hernandez wasn't your typical slugging first baseman, but he did just about everything else well, whether it was hitting .300, driving in runs or playing superb defense.
In addition to everything Hernandez did on the field, he was a co-captain on the 1986 World Series team and he's been the color voice of the Mets for 20 years. He isn't in the Hall of Fame (even though he should be) but his number is retired, and for good reason.
10. 1B Pete Alonso (2019-2025)
Mets stats: 23.3 bWAR, .253/.341/.516, 264 HR, 712 RBI
Mets resume: ROY, 5x All-Star, 1x Silver Slugger
The Mets haven't developed many power hitters outside of the likes of Strawberry and Wright, but Pete Alonso was the exception. He burst onto the scene by immediately setting a franchise (and MLB rookie) record with 53 homers in 2019, and has pretty much never stopped hitting home runs since. Alonso launched 264 of them in all over his eight seasons in Queens, more than any other player in the history of the franchise.
But it's Alonso's blast in the decisive Game 3 of the 2024 NL Wild Card Series that he'll be remembered for, helping will the Mets to the NLDS with one of the biggest swings in the history of the franchise. Alonso wound up signing with the Baltimore Orioles after the 2025 season under somewhat acrimonious circumstances, but his run in New York will be remembered for many years to come.
11. SS Francisco Lindor (2021-Present)
Mets stats: 27.3 bWAR, .261/.338/.462, 141 HR, 445 RBI
Mets resume: 1x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger
Francisco Lindor has only been a Met for five years, yet he's already on the verge of being a top 10 Met ever because of everything he's been able to accomplish in his half decade in Queens. What's special about Lindor is he's been as consistent as any Mets position player ever: He's finished in the top 10 of the NL MVP balloting in four of his five years with the team. He's had two 30-30 seasons, and was one stolen base in 2024 away from making it three. He's already sixth in franchise history among position players in bWAR, and there's a good chance he'll end his Mets career at or near the top of that list.
12. 2B/3B Edgardo Alfonzo (1995-2002)
Mets stats: 29.6 bWAR, .292/.367/.445, 120 HR, 538 RBI
Mets resume: 1x All-Star, 1x Silver Slugger
Piazza was the superstar in the late '90s and early 2000s, but Edgardo Alfonzo was the steady Robin to his Batman. He didn't have the eye-popping power numbers Piazza had, but Alfonzo had a four-year stretch in which he hit .305 and averaged 20 home runs and 88 RBI from 1997-2000. He was one of the best players on the 2000 World Series team, to boot.
Injuries derailed the second half of his career, but Alfonzo is still the greatest second baseman in Mets history and one of the most underrated position players the franchise has deployed.
13. LHP Sid Fernandez (1984-1993)
Mets stats: 27.6 bWAR, 98-78, 1,584.2 IP, 3.14 ERA, 3.29 FIP
Mets resume: 2x All-Star, 1 World Series win
I might even be underrating Sid Fernandez by putting him at No. 13, but his Mets career was truly something special. Fernandez spent a decade with New York and had an ERA barely above 3.00 in that time. He might've only been a two-time All-Star, but he was consistently reliable at the front of the Mets' rotation for many years.
Fernandez was a starting pitcher, but his performance out of the bullpen in Game 7 of the 1986 World Series will be what Mets fans remember forever. Pitching on three days' rest, Fernandez threw 2.1 hitless innings, keeping his team in the game and allowing the offense to eventually mount a comeback. New York, of course, would win the game and the series, and it's unlikely that would've happened if it weren't for Fernandez.
14. OF Brandon Nimmo (2016-2025)
Mets stats: 26.1 bWAR, .262/.364/.438, 135 HR, 463 RBI
Mets resume: Top 10 in NYM history in bWAR, OBP, Runs, Total bases
The Mets took a risk selecting a youngster from Wyoming who could not even play high school baseball in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but it paid off in a big way. Nimmo is one of the most consistent on-base threats New York has ever had, and he later wound up adding substantial power to his game as well.
Nimmo hit as many as 25 home runs in a single season, drove in as many as 92 runs, had an OBP as high as .404 and even put together some strong defensive years in the outfield. He was (somehow) never an All-Star and never went to a World Series with the Mets, but he's one of very few high-end position players to spend at least decade with the franchise — and had he spent his entire career in Queens, there's a good chance his number would've been retired. Nimmo will forever be a fan favorite thanks to not only his production but also the charisma and effort he put into the game. He's one of the most likable Mets ever.
15. LHP Jon Matlack (1971-1977)
Mets stats: 26.6 bWAR, 82-81, 1,448 IP, 3.03 ERA, 2.88 FIP
Mets resume: ROY, 3x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP
It was easy to overlook Koosman because Seaver led the rotation, so imagine how it felt to be Jon Matlack and be the best No. 3 starter in the sport during his prime. Matlack doesn't get the recognition he deserves, but he won the NL Rookie of the Year award in his first full season with the Mets and never really slowed down from there.
He finished his Mets career with an ERA just above 3.00, made three All-Star teams and he was utterly dominant in the 1973 postseason, helping to lead the Mets to the World Series. He didn't allow a run in that playoff run until his fourth start, one which came on just three days of rest. He didn't have the longevity to rank higher on this list, but Matlack is one of the true greats to ever wear a Mets uniform.
16. SS Jose Reyes (2003-2011, 2016-2018)
Mets stats: 27.9 bWAR, .282/.334/.433, 108 HR, 521 RBI
Mets resume: 4x All-Star, 1 Silver Slugger, 2011 batting title, all-time SB leader
There has not been a more electric player in Mets history than Jose Reyes. Heck, there might not have been a more exciting player in the Majors during Reyes' prime. He would constantly turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples, whether all at once or by getting on and stealing a base (or two). His speed could change any given game in an instant; it's no accident that he leads this franchise in triples and stolen bases by a wide margin.
What made Reyes so special, though, is that he had more than one tool. Reyes stole as many as 78 bases in a single season, but he also hit as many as 19 home runs, drove in as many as 81 runs, had a cannon of an arm at shortstop and even won a batting title. He was the best leadoff hitter in the sport during his prime, and was a key piece on the 2006 team that was just one win shy of being World Series-bound.
17. LHP Al Leiter (1998-2004)
Mets stats: 28.0 bWAR, 95-67, 1,360 IP, 3.42 ERA, 4.10 FIP
Mets resume: 1x All-Star, 3x 200 IP seasons
As if Al Leiter playing for the franchise he rooted for growing up in New Jersey wasn't cool enough, he put together seven strong years in Queens. Leiter came to the Mets in 1998 as an All-Star, but had his best prolonged stretch of success with New York, allowing him to become a fan favorite. And as good as Leiter was overall, he was even better when the Mets needed him most.
Leiter's most memorable moment saw him deliver a complete game shutout in Game 163 of the 1999 regular season, allowing the Mets to get to the playoffs. The following year, Leiter went at least seven innings and allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his four postseason starts in the team's run to the Fall Classic. Leiter was only a one-time All-Star, and his numbers don't blow anyone away, but his consistency and his propensity to step up in big games help him crack this list.
18. 3B Howard Johnson (1985-1993)
Mets stats: 22.0 bWAR, .251/.341/.459, 192 HR, 629 RBI
Mets resume: 2x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger
After parts of three seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Howard Johnson was traded to the Mets and wasted little time in getting his career on track. He helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series, and received MVP votes the following year.
He wound up finishing his Mets career with three 30-30 seasons. Few players had the kind of power and speed to match HoJo in this franchise's history, and his peak (three top-five MVP finishes in five years) isn't talked about enough. Johnson remained valuable to the Mets even after his playing career as a coach.
19. C Gary Carter (1985-1989)
Mets stats: 11.4 bWAR, .249/.319/.412, 89 HR, 349 RBI
Mets resume: 4x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, 1 World Series win
Gary Carter only spent five seasons with the Mets, but his contributions during that span were too great to keep him off this list. Not only was he one of the most important players on the 1986 World Series-winning team, but he had some fantastic seasons around that as well.
Carter finished sixth in NL MVP balloting in 1985 and followed that up with a third-place finish in 1986. He drove in 100+ runs and won a Silver Slugger in each of those years, all while being an everyday catcher. The Mets have never had an MVP in their franchise's history, but Carter is on a shortlist of players who have come close to winning one. His lack of longevity with the team can be overlooked when considering his individual success and everything he did to help them win a title.
20. OF Cleon Jones (1963-1975)
Mets stats: 18.1 bWAR, .281/.340/.406, 93 HR, 521 RBI
Mets resume: 1x All-Star, 1 World Series win
Cleon Jones was an average player for much of his 12-year Mets career, but he finds his way onto this list thanks largely to his contributions in the 1969 season. Not only did Jones catch the final out in the World Series, but he had a breakout regular season that saw him hit .340 and finish seventh in NL MVP voting.
His career numbers don't pop, but Jones will forever be a Mets legend who played an integral role in winning the team's first title, which is enough to place him among the 20 greatest Mets of all time.