The New York Mets recently captured their first pennant in 15 years. How does this year’s team stack up against the 2000 team?
By Gregg Cambareri
Before we take a ride down memory lane, make sure you let the nostalgia sink in. The 2000 team was drastically different from this year’s squad. They didn’t have a young, fireballing rotation, nor did they have an outfielder half as talented as Yoenis Cespedes. Their bullpen was actually worse than this season’s bunch (hard to imagine, I know). They played at good ‘ol Shea Stadium, where Citi Field’s parking lot is now.
However, they won 94 games, 4 more than the current NL East champs. Let’s see how they match up.
Infield: Mike Piazza was the backbone of the 2000 Mets and a staple on the diamond.
The 2015 Mets have a solid bunch that makes up the infield, but it just doesn’t compare to the talent the millennium Mets had.
Mike Piazza wasn’t just the best player on the 2000 team, but a franchise icon. His 38 homers and 113 rbi’s led the Mets that season, as he cemented the middle of the lineup. It wasn’t just the number of home runs, but the tape measure shots (and cool bat flips) that made him so beloved by fans and feared by opponents. Sure, Travis D’arnaud is a promising young catcher of his own, but the catcher advantage clearly belongs to Piazza.
Moving 90 feet down to first, you can currently find Lucas Duda, who has enjoyed several streaky, yet powerful seasons at first base. But wait, who remembers Todd Zeile?! He played for just two seasons in Queens, but 22 dingers, 79 rbi’s, and an .823 OPS in 2000 made him a key contributor to that team. Often overlooked due to Piazza’s big numbers, his short stint in New York, and a disappointing 2001 season, Zeile was more than solid on an infield with several big bats.
Speaking of those other big bats, let’s not forget how good Edgardo Alfonzo was manning second base. He posted a WAR of at least 6.0 three times during his Met tenure, including a career best 6.4 WAR in 2000. His .324/25HR/94RBI slash line earned him an all star appearance as well. In comparison–Daniel Murphy has had a WAR of 3.0 once and posted a WAR of just 1.4 this season. Remember, that doesn’t count his historic 2015 postseason, but it speaks to how good Alfonzo was. He and Zeile made for an excellent offensive duo on the right side on the diamond. Neither player was bad defensively, but it was their bats that did the damage.
Sliding over to short, one of the most beloved Mets in recent memory will take the field on Tuesday night. Yes, young Wilmer Flores will look to continue his magic carpet ride of a season in Kansas City. He and the recently injured Ruben Tejada solved the difficult shortstop question the Mets had coming into the season.
Ironically, the 2000 Mets also had a tricky shortstop situation, with a committee approach, too. Melvin Mora, Mike Bordick, Kurt Abbott and Rey Ordonez manned the spot for the blue and orange. Ordonez was a defensive wiz, Abbott a career utility man, Bordick a one time all star, and Mora was just a kid, who eventually found success in Baltimore. But for one year in 2000, these were the guys who glued together the shortstop position. They hit 16 homers and knocked in 72 collectively–decent production for a defensively minded position. No one player had a strong individual season, but each did his part on this pennant winning team.
Lastly on the diamond is the hot corner. Just about any Met fan who thinks about third base thinks about David Wright. And honestly, why the heck wouldn’t you? The captain has given his heart and soul for this team, and finally gets rewarded with his first World Series appearance. Fifteen years earlier, it was Robin Ventura who played third for the ‘Amazins.
Ventura only spent three seasons in New York, but bopped 24 homers and knocked in 84 runs in 2000. His .234 average was one of the worst of his career, but the sure handed third baseman’s defense and power played a vital role. His game 3 homerun in the World Series helped spark the Mets lone victory in the Fall Classic.
So which infield is better?
Both the 2015 and 2000 Mets have plenty of talent on the infield. The all star caliber seasons of Piazza and Alfonzo tip the scales and give the 2000 team a distinct advantage over the current infield.
Outfield: The 2015 Mets have depth and talent roaming the outfield grass, so how does the 2000 team match-up?
Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Grandson are household names in just about every Met home. Both of these guys have been better than advertised for majority of the season and have given the Mets thunderous power, good speed on the base baths, and solid defense. Michael Conforto’s promising bat, Juan Lagares’s gold glove, and Michael Cuddyer’s leadership make this unit a real strength and a big reason why the 2015 team has been able to contend.
The 2000 outfield didin’t have the firepower this team does, but that doesn’t mean they lacked ability. You see the image on top of this page. That’s right, that is Benny Agbayani! The big Hawaiian posted an .868 OPS in 2000 and knocked in 60 runs playing left field. He was no all star, but he provided us with one of the best Mets postseason moments in franchise history:
Jay Payton was one of the top rookies in 2000, clubbing 17 homers and driving in 62. Derek Bell had a similar season (18 homers, 69 rbi’s) before suffering an injury that allowed playing time for none other than Timo Perez (remember him?). Timo scored 8 runs and recorded 7 hits in the NLCS, while playing valuable defense.
So, the 2000 Mets didn’t have a better outfield than the current group, did they?
No, not by any stretch. However, they were all solid and key contributors throughout the season.
Bullpen: Both ‘pens had there share of difficulties, so who had the better (or worse) bunch?
Most Met fans get a little nervous when someone other than Jeurys Familia enters, but he’s been so dominant it’s hard to blame them. Tyler Clippard has been up and down, Addison Reed has contributed more good than bad, Hansel Robles had his moments (not all of them were pretty), and Sean Gilmartin has been excellent in long relief. For lack of a better term, this has been a bend-but-don’t-break kind of ‘pen.
As for the 2000 Mets, they had a fairly mediocre bullpen as well. Closer Armando Benitez was the only pitcher with a sub-3.00 ERA (although his 3.56 FIP suggests he lucked out) and his 41 saves were impressive. Okay, Mets fans–we know you don’t exactly have glowing memories of Benitez, but he was pretty darn good in 2000.
Turk Wendell, Dennis Cook, John Franco, and Rick White made up the middle innings, although no one pitcher was especially effective. All had an FIP over 4.00, although they bridged the gap to Benitez well enough. Thankfully, the 2000 Mets had little problem scoring runs, giving this mediocre ‘pen some wiggle room.
Which bullpen was better?
The 2015 ‘pen is much better than it’s 2000 counterpart. This speaks primarily to how much late game velocity is emphasized in today’s game, and how offensively prominent the game was fifteen years ago. All in all, the current Met bullpen could hold down the fort more consistently than the 2000 team’s could.
Starting Rotation: The 2015 staff trumps a decent group from 2000.
There’s really no comparison here. The 2015 Mets feature three bonafide aces and a fourth possibly in the making. We already know the names as they get talked about all the time. They’re young, hard throwing, and don’t walk many. They are the main reason for the revival at Citi Field this season and what has carried the team through the postseason thus far.
The 2000 rotation can’t possibly compare, but they held their own en route to the National League crown. Mike Hampton and Al Leiter formed terrific 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Both won at least 15 games, threw over 200 innings, and posted an ERA of 3.20 or lower.
Glendon Rusch, Rick Reed, and Bobby Jones rounded out the rotation. All had an ERA over 4.00, but provided valuable innings for an offense that provided ample run support. Interestingly enough, Jones, the team’s fifth starter, (who had an ERA over 5.00), pitched one of the greatest games in Mets history. He one hit the Giants to clinch the NLDS. Ahh, the memories.
Obviously, there’s not much to compare here, though:
Okay, the 2000 Mets rotation did a heck of a job, helping to get the team deep into October. However, they aren’t half as good as the current group.
Now that it’s time to step away from memory lane, which team do you think would win in a 7 game series? My money is on the bunch taking the field on Tuesday.