Today marks the 125th anniversary of Congress passing the Gold Standard Act. So we here at Kiner's Korner think it's a perfect time to celebrate some Mets who have set the gold standard for fielding. And what better way is there to do that than to list our top 5 Mets Gold Glove winners?
Now, to be clear, this isn't a list of the top 5 Mets fielders; it's the top 5 Gold Glove winners. So even though there were few that were better than John Olerud, he never won a Gold Glove with the Mets, so he does not make the list. Don't worry, we'll find a way of appreciating him at some point this year.
Only 10 different Mets have won the award, so admittedly the options were limited. At the same time, there were some terrific glove-men who sadly missed the cut.
Naturally, this means some incredible fielders made the list. So, without further ado, here they are, the Mets top 5 Gold Glove Winners:
5. Juan Lagares (Gold Glove Winner in 2014)
Initially signed by the Mets as a shortstop, Juan Lagares grew up in an area of the Dominican Republic that lacked baseball facilities. Instead, he initially played softball. He has often attributed his strong throwing arm to learning how to play with the larger and heavier ball.
Lagares signed with the Mets in 2006, and moved from shortstop to the outfield in 2009, where he would remain for the rest of his tenure with the franchise.
Early in the 2013 season, Lagares made his major league debut, and in mid-July of that season, he was awarded the NL Player of the Week. While his offensive numbers were up-and-down throughout his rookie campaign, his defensive prowess remained a constant. Lagares closed out the season with a .983 fielding percentage, while leading the National League in Range Factor/9 innings (2.98). He led the all major league center fielders with 14 assists, setting a Mets record for outfield assists with 15 total (he had 1 in right field).
The following season, Lagares led the NL in Range Factor/9 innings (2.85) and Range Factor/game (2.67) while earning a Gold Glove Award in an injury-shortened year. Juan Lagares would go on to play another six seasons with the Mets, and while injuries and inconsistent offensive performance limited his appearances, his reliability in center field was something that the team and the fans never took for granted.
4. David Wright (Gold Glove Winner in 2007 & 2008)
When you hear David Wright's name, you probably think of his hitting success. In his 14 seasons with the Mets, Wright developed into one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Captain America, as he was sometimes known, closed out his career as the all-time Mets leader in plate appearances, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, walks, extra-base hits, total bases, and sacrifice flies. Lost in his offensive success though, was that David Wright was the most reliable third baseman in Mets history.
While it's true that Wright was not the first Mets third baseman to win the Gold Glove Award (that would be Robin Ventura in 1999), he is the only one to ever win it twice. This included leading the majors in third base assists in 2008 with 286. He also led the NL in putouts (110), assists (321), and double-plays (34) in 2010.
Injuries shortened his career, interfering with his path to the Hall of Fame. Still, the Mets will be retiring the 11-time All-Star's number 5 later this season.
3. Carlos Beltran  (Gold Glove Winner in 2006, 2007 & 2008)
The term "5-tool player" gets thrown around pretty often when a young players first puts his talents on display. The notion of a player who can do it all is tantalizing for any team looking to build a future. So when the Mets signed Carlos Beltran prior to the 2005 season, it's understandable that they would declare themselves "The New Mets". As Beltran would soon prove, this moniker was not just a reference to a new offensive approach; it also captured a renewed mindset about fielding.
Already known for his graceful moves and strong arm in center field, Beltran led the majors in outfield assists (13) and double-plays (6), helping him earn his first Gold Glove Award. Beltran would repeat that feat in both of the next two seasons.
2. Rey Ordóñez  (Gold Glove Winner in 1997, 1998 & 1999)
Rey Ordonez was not really known for his offense. Still, when he became available to major league teams, more than twenty franchises vied for his services. His defensive capabilities were just that good. Not just good though, they were exciting to watch. Fortunately for the New York Mets and their fans, they won the Ordonez lottery and soon signed the Cuban defector.
Joe McIlvaine, the Mets GM at the time, once declared that Ordonez would lead the league in standing ovations, and didn't take long for him to be proven correct. Ordonez's fielding had been talked up from the moment he was signed, and his extra-inning game-saving throw from his knees in his Opening Day debut, backed up those claims.
There are stats that support the idea that Ordonez was one of the best of his era. He led the league in double-plays (102) in 1996, fielding percentage in 1997 (.983) and 1999 (.994), as well as some other harder to understand statistics. He even set a major league record for shortstops, going 101 consecutive games without committing an error, over the 1999-2000 seasons. Beyond the numbers though, simply watching Ordonez highlights is all you need to see to know how talented he was. In all seriousness, during those winter months when baseball seems forever away, Ordonez highlights are enough to make me smile.
Give it a try...
1. Keith Hernandez (Gold Glove Winner in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 & 1988)
Major League Baseball has been around for about 150 years. Unsurprisingly, a century-and-a-half of the sport provides fodder for inspection, discussion, even arguments. Ask ten different people to name the greatest power hitter of all time, you might get ten different answers. You want to know who the fastest player ever was? You can't, too many fans will swear it's "their" player. But, ask any number of fans who the greatest fielding first baseman of all time was, and chances are they'll say Keith Hernandez. And if, by chance, they don't...they're wrong.
Of course, if you want numbers to support this claim, you've got numbers - Over the course of his 6 consecutive Gold Glove Award-winning seasons, Hernandez led the NL in putouts once (1418 in 1983), assists 3 times (1984, 1985, 1987), and double-plays twice (1983 & 1984). He also led all major league first basemen in fielding percentage twice during this time, with .997 in 1985 and .996 in 1986.
Beyond the numbers, Hernandez was the field general, guiding the other fielders and getting in the pitchers' ears. He could go to his left, go to his right, pick a throw in the dirt, and he was a master at charging the bunt and turning the 3-6-3 double play.
Between his time with the Cardinals and then the Mets, Hernandez won eleven consecutive Gold Gloves. The streak came to an end in 1989, his final season with the Mets when a fractured kneecap forced him to miss two months of the season. He played just 75 games that year, followed by lone 43-game season with Cleveland, before retiring.
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