Mets of the Decade: The best from 2011-20

Who were the best Mets players between 2011-20?

Because we have no Major League Baseball to talk about (other than ongoing CBA negotiations), we’re going to throw it in the way back machine for a few days and look back at the best players in each decade for the New York Mets.

We’re going to roll this back all the way to the beginning of the Mets in the 1960s, giving you the top ten players ranked by their WAR (per Baseball Reference).

We’ll start with the last complete decade: 2011-20.

1. Jacob deGrom – 36.3 (2014-20)

The current ace of the Mets has been exceptional throughout his career. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2014 and won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018-19. He is the best pitcher on the planet when he’s healthy.

2. David Wright – 17.0 (2011-18)

Captain America still ranks second for the Mets in WAR starting in 2011 despite injuries beginning the premature end of his career; he appeared in more than 135 games only once in the final six-plus seasons of his career. Wright was an all-star in 2012 and 2013 during this window.

3. Michael Conforto – 14.9 (2015-20)

The 10th overall pick in the 2014 draft made his debut the following year and was a mainstay in the Mets’ lineup until this offseason. He posted a 128 OPS+ between 2015-20 and appeared in one All-Star Game.

4. Noah Syndergaard – 14.8 (2015-19)

Thor was, with Matt Harvey and deGrom, supposed to give the Mets’ an all-time great rotation. But injuries slowed his career and he signed with the Angels earlier this offseason.

5. Juan Lagares – 12.4 (2013-20)

Known more for his glove than his bat, Lagares slashed .254/.297/.361 during his time with the Mets and won a Gold Glove in 2014.

6. Curtis Granderson – 10.9 (2014-17)

Granderson joined the Mets for his age-33 season. He drove in 247 runs in 573 games with the Mets over four seasons before leaving town. During his 16-year major league career, Granderson only appeared in more games for Detroit than with the Mets.

7. Matt Harvey – 10.4 (2012-18)

Unfortunately, Harvey has been in the news for more than pitching lately. But when he arrived, he put New York on notice. He was an all-star and looked like a future ace until injuries and off-field issues derailed his career.

8. Daniel Murphy – 10.3 (2011-15)

Murphy was the complete opposite of Lagares; he was a smooth bat in the Mets’ lineup. With New York he slashed .291/.331/.421 in 699 games.

9. Zack Wheeler – 10.2 (2013-19)

Wheeler was the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft, but his time with the Mets was a mixed bag. He didn’t appear in a major league game in 2015 or 2016 and was 3-7 when he returned in 2017. He has since developed into an ace… with the Phillies.

10. Jeff McNeil – 9.8 (2018-20)

As of now, McNeil is the second current Mets player to make this list; Conforto is still a free agent and may play elsewhere this season. How McNeil fits into the Mets’ plans moving forward will be interesting, however.