With the end of the decade just a handful of days away, SNY is taking a look back at the best players to call New York home over the past 10 years. The following Mets All-Decade Team was put together by insider Andy Martino. Find out if you agree with the list ...
Manager: Terry Collins (2011-17)
When Collins took over for the Mets in 2011, he hadn't been a big-league manager since 1999 with the Angels. The Mets finished under .500 in each of his first four seasons, but in 2015, Collins and the Mets finished with 90 wins, taking home the NL East crown. Collins then saw the team make their first World Series since 2000, though they came up short against the Kansas City Royals.Ultimately, Collins won 551 games as Mets' skipper.
Catcher: Travis d'Arnaud (2013-19)
Acquired alongside Noah Syndergaard in the December 2012 trade that sent RA Dickey to the Blue Jays, d'Arnaud was a staple behind the plate for the Mets. His offensive numbers were never all that impressive, slashing .242/.303/.401, but he handled the pitching staff well.
First Base: Pete Alonso (2019-present)
Pete Alonso has only played one season with the Mets, but oh what a year it was. The Polar Bear set a Mets franchise record and broke the MLB rookie record with 53 home runs, driving in 120. Alonso was named to the inaugural All-MLB team at first base, and the sky is the limit for the phenomenal young hitter.
Second Base: Daniel Murphy (2008-15)
After missing the entire 2010 season due to knee injuries, Murphy bounced back to slash .291/.331/.421 over the course of the next five seasons. His dramatic power display during the 2015 playoffs will live on forever in Mets' history, as he launched seven home runs during the NLDS and NLCS.
Shortstop: Jose Reyes (2003-11, 2016-18)
2010 and 2011 were the final two year's of Reyes' initial tenure as a Met, but he finished in style, earning All-Star appearances each year. In 2011, he finished 11th in MVP voting, hitting .337 with 31 doubles, 16 triples, and 101 runs scored. Reyes returned to the Mets in 2016, but his days as an everyday shortstop were behind him. He hit .238 over those final three seasons.
Third Base: David Wright (2004-18)
The Captain is the only choice for third base. Though 2010 marked the halfway point of Wright's career, he made three more All-Star teams during the decade and still slashed .282/.362/.460. Injuries limited him to just 77 games over his final three seasons (including missing all of 2017), but there is no doubt that Wright is among the greatest players in franchise history.
Outfield: Yoenis Cespedes (2015-present)
Acquired by the Mets at the deadline in 2015, Cespedes hit .287 with 17 home runs the rest of the year for the Mets, helping lead the team to a World Appearance. He was an NL All-Star with 2016, finishing eighth in MVP voting that year. Overall, Cespedes has 74 home runs as a Met, and he recently told Eduardo Perez that he believes he can hit 52 in 2020 as he makes his return from ankle injuries.
Outfield: Curtis Granderson (2014-17)
Granderson is the only player who has the honor of making both our Mets and Yankees All-Decade teams. After a successful four-year run with the Yankees, Granderson headed across town to the Mets, where he quickly became a fan favorite in Flushing. In four years with the Mets, he slashed .239/.341/.444
Outfield: Michael Conforto (2015-present)
The 10th overall pick by the Mets in the 2014 draft, Conforto arrived in New York with high expectations. While he hasn't quite blossomed into the superstar player that many had hoped he would, he did earn an All-Star nod in 2017 and has an overall slash line of .253/.353/.481 with 109 home runs.
Pinch-Hitter: Lucas Duda (2010-17)
Duda provided the Mets with some power from the left side of the plate during the decade, blasting 30 home runs in 2014. In eight seasons with the Mets, Duda totaled 125 home runs as a Met, and also compiled a .437 slugging percentage.
Pitching Rotation
Jacob deGrom (2014-present)
Over the last two seasons, deGrom has established himself as the best pitcher in the National League, taking home back-to-back Cy Young Awards. DeGrom has been named to three All-Star teams and also earned NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2014. Overall, he's pitched to a 2.62 ERA with 1,255 strikeouts in 1101.2 innings.
RA Dickey (2010-12)
A struggling big-league starter, Dickey reinvented himself as a knuckleballer and changed the trajectory of his career. After two solid seasons with the Mets in 2010 and 2011, Dickey took baseball by storm in 2012, winning 20 games and striking out 230 hitters to go along with his 2.73 ERA. Dickey earned the only All-Star nod of his career, and also took home Cy Young honors. Following the season, he was traded to the Blue Jays in a deal that brought Noah Syndergaard to the Mets.
Johan Santana (2008-12)
Santana was a two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Minnesota Twins. He was traded to the Mets in a blockbuster deal prior to the 2008 season, and in his first season in Flushing, he finished third in Cy Young voting after going 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA. Shoulder injuries limited Santana during his time with the Mets, causing him to miss the entire 2011 season, but in 2012, he pitched the first no-hitter in team history, blanking the St. Louis Cardinals on June 1.
Matt Harvey (2012-18)
Drafted seventh overall by the Mets in the 2010 draft, Harvey made his big-league debut in 2012, and by 2013 he was an All-Star, starting the game on the mound in Flushing. The Dark Knight finished fourth in Cy Young voting that year, ending the campaign with a ridiculous 2.27 ERA. Eventually, though, Harvey fizzled out in New York, ending his tenure with a 3.66 ERA and a 34-37 record.
Noah Syndergaard (2015-present)
Brought to New York as the big piece of the RA Dickey trade, Syndergaard has been electric during his five seasons with the Mets. Thor has pitched to a 3.31 ERA and struck out 775 batters in 716.0 innings. His best individual season came in 2016, when he earned an All-Star appearance while pitching to a 14-9 record with a 2.60 ERA.
Closer: Jeurys Familia (2012-18, 2019-present)
Familia's return to the Mets got off to a dreadful start in 2019, as the righty pitched to a 5.70 ERA, but that poor season shouldn't take away from the fact that he saved 123 games for the Mets during the decade, including 51 saves in 2016. In eight seasons with the club overall, Familia has pitched to a 3.16 ERA.