Who are the all-time greatest Hispanic players to wear the Mets uniform?
Yesterday we kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with a look at the top ten all-time Hispanic players for the Yankees. Today, let’s turn our attention to the other side of town.
Francisco Lindor has already been credited with 3.0 WAR (per Baseball Reference), putting him on track to make this list at some point. And, based on the list, it might not take long for him to crack the top ten.
So who makes the top ten list for the Mets? Let’s take a look.
1. Carlos Beltrán – Puerto Rico
7 years with the Mets
31.1 WAR, 5-time All-Star, three Gold Glove awards
Beltrán’s connection with the Mets took a turn when he was named the team’s manager and subsequently fired before managing a single game in January of 2020 because of his connection to the Houston Astros cheating scandal. However, his 149 home runs still rank sixth in Mets history and he took home two Silver Slugger awards while playing at Shea Stadium. Beltrán also stole 100 bases and drove in 559 runs in 839 games with the Mets.
2. Edgardo Alfonzo – Venezuela
8 years with the Mets
29.7 WAR, one All-Star Game, one Silver Slugger
Alfonzo was recently honored by the Mets for his stellar career with the club. In 1999 when he won the Silver Slugger Award after hitting 27 home run with 108 RBI, a performance that earned him a top-ten finish in NL MVP voting. Alfonzo played 1,086 games with the Mets, making him one of only ten position players to appear in 1,000 games with the team.
3. José Reyes – Dominican Republic
12 years with the Mets
28.2 WAR, 4-time All-Star, one Silver Slugger
Reyes ranks second all-time in runs scored for the Mets behind only David Wright and only three players – Ed Kranepool, Wright and Bud Harrelson – have appeared in more games for the Mets. He’ is the franchise’s all-time leader in triples and stolen bases; he led the league in steals three straight years (2005-07).
4. Johan Santana – Venezuela
4 years with the Mets
15.3 WAR, one All-Star Game
Santana’s injuries make him one of the great What If players in Mets history. He joined the team in 2008 and immediately led the league with a 2.53 ERA, 234.1 innings pitched and 34 starts that first season. Unfortunately, he never threw 200 innings in a season again, finishing his career with a 46-34 record while wearing the orange and blue of the Mets.
5. Juan Lagares – Dominican Republic
8 years with the Mets
12.4 WAR, one Gold Glove award
Lagares is the second current member of the club to make the list. He won a Gold Glove in 2014, his second year in the league – the same season he drove in a career-high 47 runs. He hasn’t appeared in more than 94 games the last two years but is still only 29 years old.
6. Jesse Orosco – US / Mexico
8 years with the Mets
12.3 WAR, 2-time All-Star
Orosco appeared in 372 games with the Mets and was one of the centerpieces of the great Mets teams of the 1980s. He represented the Mets in two All-Star games in his 24 season career – 1983 and 1984.
7. Ángel Pagán – Puerto Rico
4 years with the Mets
10.8 WAR
Yes, Pagán makes ourlist. He was acquired from the Cubs before the 2008 season and went on to steal 87 bases and score 214 runs in 393 games before he was traded to San Francisco.
8. Armando Benítez – Dominican Republic
5 years with the Mets
9.8 WAR, one All-Star Game
Benítez struck out 456 in 347 innings with the Mets. He still ranks second in Mets history with 160 saves. In 2000, he finished a National League-leading 68 games with 41 saves.
9. Bob Ojeda – US / Mexico
5 years with the Mets
9.6 WAR
After he was acquired in a huge, eight-player deal with Boston after the 1985 season, Ojeda went 18-5 with a 2.57 ERA during the 1986 campaign that finished with the Mets defeating — of course — the Red Sox in seven games. The left-handed Ojeda won a total of 51 games in five seasons with the Mets.
10. Bobby Bonilla – US / Puerto Rico
5 years with the Mets
8.2 WAR, 2-time All-Star
Bobby Bonilla Day has become a cultural event for Mets fans across the country. Yes, he’s still getting paid by the club. But while he was actually wearing the uniform, he was a decent player. He represented the Mets in the All-Star Game in two of his five seasons with the Mets and put together enough WAR to make our list.
