20 Mets Who Got Too Much Credit

Last Updated: October 23rd, 2026 by Matthew Brown

Boy, do the Mets have a complicated relationship with their fans. On one hand, they are fortunate enough to have experienced multiple World Series championships. That's more than nine other franchises in Major League Baseball.

Then there are the seasons of disappointments.

In a market like New York City, those can loom larger than in other cities in the United States. With that being said, we want to go through the players who may have gotten their flowers, but have definitely contributed to the frustration in Queens at some point.

How We Made This List

It doesn't matter how great a player is. There is always a segment of fans who will expect more. You may find that there are some beloved Mets on this list.

We're here to show the other side of the coin when it comes to their careers.

Then there are the obvious ones. You'll know it when you see it. Maybe you'll even feel the frustration that player has caused during their career.

20. Juan Soto

2025-present

Juan Soto — Career	Total
G	1180
AB	4150
H	1169
HR	265
RBI	749
SB	102
AVG	.282
OBP	.416
SLG	.532
OPS	.948
All-Star selections	5
Silver Sluggers	6
World Series titles	1

More money leads to more expectations. When it's the most in history, then you can expect a ton of judging eyes being pointed your way for your entire career. That's what it's like to be Juan Soto in a New York Mets uniform.

There's no doubt that he's still one of the best in the league, but with a 15-year contract worth $765 million, there isn't a lot of patience from fans for a player to be just one of the best. They must be the absolute best.

19. Ed Kranepool

1962-1979

Ed Kranepool — Career	Total
G	1853
AB	5436
H	1418
HR	118
RBI	614
SB	15
AVG	.261
OBP	.316
SLG	.377
OPS	.693
All-Star selections	1
World Series titles	1

Commitment goes a long way, and I totally understand why there are many old-school Mets fans who fondly remember Ed Kranepool. It's just that he was more of a role player than an everyday starter.

Only three seasons of his 18-year career saw him play in over 130 games. He was also a first baseman with a weak .377 slugging percentage. Not exactly what you're looking for from a power position.

18. Cleon Jones

1963-1975

Cleon Jones — Career	Total
G	1213
AB	4263
H	1196
HR	93
RBI	524
SB	91
AVG	.281
OBP	.339
SLG	.404
OPS	.743
All-Star selections	1
World Series titles	1

Cleon Jones is absolutely beloved from that magical 1969 Miracle Mets team. Making the final catch in the World Series and having a great personality makes him a Mets legend.

He had an All-Star season where he hit .340, but that was about it as far as elite production goes. Left field is usually reserved for the best hitters, but Jones never reached 15 home runs in a single season in his career.

17. Keith Hernandez

1983-1989

Keith Hernandez — Career	Total
G	2088
AB	7370
H	2182
HR	162
RBI	1071
SB	98
AVG	.296
OBP	.384
SLG	.436
OPS	.820
MVP	1
All-Star selections	5
Gold Gloves	11
Silver Sluggers	2
World Series titles	2

I know what you're thinking: "Why is the great Keith Hernandez on this list?" I've said in the past that he should be in the Hall of Fame. I still think that. But we can size his career down to just the Mets years for this entry.

His numbers were still good, but gone were the days of a .344 batting average with 48 doubles. I get that he was still a very good player, but, as we've said on this list already, first base is a position that usually needs a bit more offensive production.

16. Bartolo Colon

2014-2016

Bartolo Colon — Career	Total
W	247
L	188
ERA	4.12
G	565
IP	3461.2
SO	2535
WHIP	1.31
SV	0
Cy Young	1
All-Star selections	4

There's no debating how lovable Bartolo Colon was during his career. He's probably my favorite player on this list. But we can't deny that he wasn't the same pitcher who went 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA the year before he got to Queens.

He was over 40 years old, so he naturally gets a pass from harsh judgment, but you have to wonder if his signing was worth it.

15. Dave Kingman

1975-1977, 1981-1983

Dave Kingman — Career	Total
G	1941
AB	6677
H	1575
HR	442
RBI	1210
SB	85
AVG	.236
OBP	.302
SLG	.478
OPS	.780
All-Star selections	3

There was absolutely no outfielder who could get to some of Dave Kingman's big blasts. However, it also seemed there were instances where Kingman had absolutely no chance of hitting the ball.

His high strikeout rate kind of offset his power output. Especially when he was with the Mets, it was harder to justify his league-leading strikeout totals in back-to-back seasons in Queens.

14. Lee Mazzilli

1976-1981, 1986-1989

Lee Mazzilli — Career	Total
G	1475
AB	4124
H	1068
HR	93
RBI	460
SB	197
AVG	.259
OBP	.359
SLG	.385
OPS	.744
All-Star selections	1
World Series titles	1

I think there's a little bit more of an underrated nature to this entry than others. Lee Mazzilli was absolutely a valuable piece for the Mets during his first handful of years at the Major League level. However, things went downhill fast as they decided to move on from him not long after his All-Star season.

That kind of stunted his growth as he moved around the league a bit before coming back to Queens. He never saw a full season as a starter after his age-25 season.

13. Marv Throneberry

1962-1963

Marv Throneberry — Career	Total
G	480
AB	1186
H	281
HR	53
RBI	170
SB	3
AVG	.237
OBP	.311
SLG	.416
OPS	.727
World Series titles	1

Marv Throneberry is probably memorable because of his unique name. It's just that his career was mostly ordinary. He actually came to the Mets in what would be the end of his career, while Queens was just getting used to its new team.

Throneberry might be remembered fondly as a member of the franchise in its first season, but he wasn't actually able to contribute much in the stat book.

12. Kaz Matsui

2004-2006

Kazuo Matsui — Career	Total
G	630
AB	2302
H	615
HR	32
RBI	211
SB	102
AVG	.267
OBP	.321
SLG	.380
OPS	.701

I thought this player was cool. Being a fan of Ichiro Suzuki, I thought the Mets were getting a mini version of him when they brought Kazuo Matsui over from Japan. He was a Pacific League MVP in the NPB, but didn't see the same success in the MLB.

He never really got going offensively, ending with a .267 lifetime batting average. Then, before we knew it, his short, seven-year MLB career was over.

11. Oliver Perez

2006-2010

Oliver Pérez — Career	Total
W	74
L	94
ERA	4.37
G	703
IP	1465.2
SO	1546
WHIP	1.43
SV	5

Getting this guy from a division rival must have felt like a steal. Unfortunately, Oliver Perez didn't pitch as well as the guy who led all pitchers in strikeouts per nine in 2004. Instead, he led the league in walks his second season in Queens and finished with a 4.71 ERA in his five-year stint with the Mets.

I do think there is at least one strong memory, as Perez tried his best in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, but just like how New York ended up in that game, his Mets career comes up a little short.

10. Luis Castillo

2007-2010

Luis Castillo — Career	Total
G	1720
AB	6510
H	1889
HR	28
RBI	443
SB	370
AVG	.290
OBP	.368
SLG	.351
OPS	.719
All-Star selections	3
Gold Gloves	3
World Series titles	1

Before the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, there was this scrappy second baseman who was an effective leadoff hitter. His best work came in Florida when he was a three-time All-Star representing the Marlins.

By the time he got to the Mets, those All-Star days had faded and he couldn't even muster a 1.5 WAR in any of the 4 seasons he spent in Queens.

9. Noah Syndergaard

2015-2021

Noah Syndergaard — Career	Total
W	59
L	47
ERA	3.71
G	164
IP	941.1
SO	928
WHIP	1.20
SV	0
All-Star selections	1

This is a tough one, as the potential was absolutely there. Noah Syndergaard seemed to have the perfect genetic make-up to become a star. His stature was great, his arm was superb, and even his looks had fans calling him Thor.

But it never fully came to fruition. He showed flashes of greatness, earning an All-Star selection in 2016, but that was about it. Injuries took their toll fast, and Syndergaard couldn't get his groove back.

8. Matt Harvey

2012-2018

Matt Harvey — Career	Total
W	50
L	66
ERA	4.42
G	180
IP	966.1
SO	867
WHIP	1.29
SV	0
All-Star selections	1

When someone is nicknamed the Dark Knight, you can bet the expectations will rise to the sky. They sure did in 2013 when he dazzled with his 2.27 ERA and a top-five Cy Young finish. Then, injuries just pummeled Harvey for the rest of his career.

I feel like his 2013 season was so good that we forget the fact that he didn't even last 10 seasons in the MLB.

7. Vince Coleman

1991-1993

Vince Coleman — Career	Total
G	1371
AB	5406
H	1425
HR	28
RBI	346
SB	752
AVG	.264
OBP	.324
SLG	.345
OPS	.669
All-Star selections	2
Rookie of the Year	1

As one of the fastest players ever to play in the MLB, Vince Coleman seemed like a guarantee when the Mets got him after his six-year stint in St. Louis to start his career. Instead, they didn't utilize him.

What was supposed to be an exciting piece to have at the top of the order turned into a role player coming off the bench. This one is on the Mets themselves, as they turned a two-time All-Star into a rare sight on the diamond.

6. Carlos Baerga

1996-1998

Carlos Baerga — Career	Total
G	1630
AB	5439
H	1583
HR	134
RBI	774
SB	59
AVG	.291
OBP	.332
SLG	.423
OPS	.755
All-Star selections	3
Silver Sluggers	2

I'm sure everyone in Queens was excited to get a three-time All-Star to bring extreme value to the second base position. Carlos Baerga had a couple of 20-home-run, 100-RBI seasons under his belt, which is ideal for the Mets at that time. It's just that he wasn't what they paid for.

He gave them a couple of mediocre seasons while the Mets had to just watch their former prospect and trade asset in the Baerga deal, Jeff Kent, develop into a Hall of Famer.

5. George Foster

1982-1986

George Foster — Career	Total
G	1977
AB	7023
H	1925
HR	348
RBI	1239
SB	51
AVG	.274
OBP	.338
SLG	.480
OPS	.818
MVP	1
All-Star selections	5
Silver Sluggers	1
World Series titles	2

Yes, George Foster is remembered as one of the great RBI men of his time. I don't know if many really remember his time with the New York Mets, though. He was an everyday starter, but brought a grand total of 4.7 WAR over four-and-a-half seasons.

It got to a point where the Mets just released him for lack of performance in 1986. We all know how that year ended up going for that team. Who knows what would have happened if Foster kept his roster spot?

4. Mo Vaughn

2002-2003

Mo Vaughn — Career	Total
G	1512
AB	5532
H	1620
HR	328
RBI	1064
SB	30
AVG	.293
OBP	.383
SLG	.523
OPS	.906
MVP	1
All-Star selections	3
Silver Sluggers	1

I'll be honest, I really liked watching Mo Vaughn play out the end of his career in the Big Apple. The numbers weren't eye-popping, which is why he has to be included on this list.

A guy who hit over 30 home runs in each of the last six seasons before he came to the Mets couldn't get to the 30-home-run mark in his two seasons in New York combined. They certainly didn't have the Mo Vaughn of old.

3. Gregg Jefferies

1987-1991

Gregg Jefferies — Career	Total
G	1465
AB	5520
H	1593
HR	126
RBI	663
SB	196
AVG	.289
OBP	.344
SLG	.421
OPS	.765
All-Star selections	2

Gregg Jeffries had some solid numbers for the Mets in the years following their '86 championship. However, he found himself in Missouri, playing for the Royals in 1992 and the Cardinals in the two years after that. Those would end up being the most productive seasons of his career.

Even though he spent the longest time with the Mets, the statistical amounts that he was able to accumulate in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Philadelphia are much more impressive.

2. Roberto Alomar (HOF)

2002-2003

Roberto Alomar — Career	Total
G	2379
AB	9073
H	2724
HR	210
RBI	1134
SB	474
AVG	.300
OBP	.371
SLG	.443
OPS	.814
All-Star selections	12
Gold Gloves	10
Silver Sluggers	4
World Series titles	2

I feel like we've seen the Mets act like one of those teams that think that they're close to winning a championship and want to just add a veteran player to take them to the next level.

They thought they had that in Roberto Alomar. A .265 batting average with 0.4 WAR and 88 OPS+ helps to prove that he struggled to even get off the ground in Queens.

1. Bobby Bonilla

1992-1995, 1999

Bobby Bonilla — Career	Total
G	2113
AB	7213
H	2010
HR	287
RBI	1173
SB	45
AVG	.279
OBP	.358
SLG	.472
OPS	.830
All-Star selections	6
Silver Sluggers	3
World Series titles	1

This will forever haunt the New York Mets organization. I don't think I have to be the one to tell you about the horrid deal they made with Bobby Bonilla in 1991. In a way, it's a cautionary tale for all of the other franchises across MLB.

I know that contract deferrals have worked for some of the brightest stars like Shohei Ohtani, but teams still have to have Bobby Bonilla Day in the back of their minds just so that they can avoid it themselves.

The Final Word

There was a plethora of talent all across this great list. I just want to mention that I have a great deal of respect for every single name covered here and that I was merely presenting the different perspectives that die-hard Mets fans may or may not be aware of.

Of course, we'll have to see if any more names need to be added in the future. Let us know if there are any we missed, and maybe we'll come back to this.

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