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Mets who you thought would be better

m8644 Jun 06 2022 08:25 PM

Topic speaks for itself.....Who are some Mets who you thought would have a better career in the orange and blue? This doesnt mean you thought the guy would be a top player, just have a better career here than they ending up having. Not necessarily stars or top prospects either, any kind of player will do. Some that come to mind on my end....(This list will not include the super obvious answers like Alomar, Jefferies or Generation K) -Bruce Berenyi (injuries destroyed his career here, but he had one of the best sliders in the league when healthy) -Kevin Elster (slick fielder as advertised but never, ever developed as a hitter here, not even a little) -Keith Miller (never thought he'd be close to a star, but definitely expected a super utility type who could hit better than he actually did in reality) -Frank Viola (Had a couple of good seasons here, but faded badly in both 90 and 91 after excellent starts. Local guy who I really thought would be here for longer after the trade) -Butch Huskey (had a few decent moments here, but never played well enough for any period of time. Easy guy to root for, but sadly left wanting more) -Rico Brogna (after his hot finish in 95, really thought the Mets found their next 1st baseman. Thankfully Olerud came over in 1997) -Derek Wallace (big time relief prospect who showed flashes but then got hurt and disappeared) -Jay Payton (Good in 2000, but even with good bat to ball skills, never could hit with us for some reason after that) -Grant Roberts (at worst, I thought he'd be a quality reliever if he failed as a starter) -Matt Lawton (Good OBP guy who I thought was just what the top of the lineup needed in the Rick Reed trade, played here for 2 months and left) I know there's a lot more but I stopped around the early 2000's here

MFS62 Jun 07 2022 12:58 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Since I saw them homer in the same game, I'll pair them as my answer: Victor Diaz and Craig Brazell. Later

cal sharpie Jun 07 2022 01:29 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Ryan Thompson. The guy looked like a good player, just didn't play like one.

roger_that Jun 07 2022 01:35 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Lastings Milledge. Slowly I turned, step by step.....

Edgy MD Jun 07 2022 01:57 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Viola 1990 had the last 20-win season for the team until R.A. Dickey.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 07 2022 02:08 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

http://ultimatemets.com/cards/JasonBay1975.jpg>

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 07 2022 02:20 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

I like to think everyone the Mets get could be awesome so 90% of ballplayers miss my unreasonable best hopes but I'm also realistic. I think some of the guys in the first list did well with what they had (Berenyi for example. Any pitcher would be better if they were injury free but I wouldn't consider getting injured an engine driving disappointment) With all that said the Mets didn't do Josh Thole many favors but coulda sworn he was a better hitter irl than he ever showed on the field. Rosario.... Gene Clines ... Mickey Calloway ... and as harebrained a scheme as the Victor Zambrano Trade was, I believe that the scout who wanted him must have seen something.

Lefty Specialist Jun 07 2022 02:24 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Fernando Martinez. No list is complete without him.

G-Fafif Jun 07 2022 02:30 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Benjamin Grimm wrote: http://ultimatemets.com/cards/JasonBay1975.jpg> I overheard two discrete conversations at Citi Field last week complaining about Jason Bay, a mere 10 years since his departure from said premises.

Edgy MD Jun 07 2022 02:36 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

In the great list of old, previously productive leftfielders who didn't have much left when they reached the Mets, it's fun that one (Bay) came with the brand of being a recommended José Reyes buddy and another (Michael Cuddyer) came with the brand of being a recommended David Wright buddy. Fillial relations are a cool thing, as long as you hit and everything. If you add rightfielders, Shawn Green came with the brand of being a recommended Carlos Delgado buddy. Willie Randolph's Mets had disappointing friends.

Gwreck Jun 07 2022 02:44 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

I was underwhelmed by all of the 5-tool Mets outfield prospects: Ryan Thompson Alex Ochoa Alex Escobar Lastings Milledge Fernando Martinez I've also think I've been underwhelmed by every prospect the Mets have acquired via trade since about 1990 (other than Syndergaard and Wheeler).

batmagadanleadoff Jun 07 2022 02:54 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

John Milner and Steve Henderson weren't bad Mets at all. But I thought they'd both become all-stars.

MFS62 Jun 07 2022 03:06 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jun 07 2022 03:20 PM

My favorite couldabeen was an infielder named Enrique Cruz. They signed him as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic after he had led his CR league with 47 home runs in around 250 at bats. Let those words sink in 47 home runs in around 250 (IIRC, it was 257) at bats. He played shortstop and I thought that even if he was a grotesque fielder they'd find some place to play him. He never developed as well or as quickly as I had hoped, was selected by another team in the Rule V Draft. He made it to the majors with Milwaukee (60 games in 2003), filtered through the Texas organization and emerged for one game for Cincy in 2007. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cruzen01.shtml Also, in 1963 MLB held a special draft to help out the expansion teams they had screwed over the year before. In the major league portion the Mets got starter Jack Fisher. we knew what we were getting. But they also drafted a slugging first baseman named Bill Haas, who had torn up two lower level leagues in his first two years. I had high hopes for him and we got bupkis. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=haas--001wil MAN, those scouting reports for both guys looked good. Sigh Later

kcmets Jun 07 2022 03:17 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Jorge Toca!

Edgy MD Jun 07 2022 03:20 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Man, I remember Amblood being a Jorge Toca true believer. =Gwreck post_id=95202 time=1654634664 user_id=56]I've also think I've been underwhelmed by every prospect the Mets have acquired via trade since about 1990 (other than Syndergaard and Wheeler).

DJ Jazzy Jeff Kent?



Blackjack David Segui?



Brandon 2112 Rusch?

roger_that Jun 07 2022 03:23 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Edgy MD wrote: Brandon 2112 Rusch? http://ultimatemets.com/profile.php?PlayerCode=0629 How quickly we forget.

Edgy MD Jun 07 2022 03:25 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

I was thinking Glendon, but my nasty little MAGA fingers were typing "Let's go, Brandon!"

Chad ochoseis Jun 07 2022 03:32 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Hey, welcome m8644. In retrospect, this is going to make me look like a complete doofus, but when I was a kid, my favorite non-Met was Joe Torre. He could hit for a high average back in the Pitcher's Golden Age. He could catch and throw. He was a funny guy. He was from Marine Park, which was basically Sheepshead Bay - my neighborhood - except Italian rather than Jewish. Then, when I was 10, the Mets traded for him. For one day, I was the happiest kid in the world. The Mets were finally gonna get an MVP trophy to put next to all the Cy Youngs (ok, only two, but when I was 10, it was obvious that a Met would always win a Cy Young, and that no Met would ever hit .300). I got my mom to iron a 9 on the back of my Mets t-shirt. And, well, boy howdy, did Joe Torre suck as a Met. I'm looking at BBRef now and apparently he hit .306 in 310 ABs in 1976, but that has been expunged from my memory. As far as I know, he stepped up to the plate no fewer than 3000 times in the mid-seventies and bounced to third on every single at-bat. I think the disappointment still haunts me. Everything I do, every decision I make, every relationship I get into...heck, every IGT I start, a little voice inside my head whispers "get ready for disappointment, Chad, my boy...you remember Joe Torre in 1975, right?" Joe Torre. Joe Freaking Torre.

MFS62 Jun 07 2022 03:49 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Chad, that was beautiful, man. and yes, a hearty welcome to m8644. Later

Bob Alpacadaca Jun 07 2022 03:52 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Kevin Plawecki.

whippoorwill Jun 07 2022 03:54 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Bobby Bonilla comes to mind. Unless I'm reading this wrong

Edgy MD Jun 07 2022 04:32 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Remember when Lunchie was all in on Lou Collier?

Willets Point Jun 07 2022 06:17 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Roberto Petagine. I saw him breaking records down in Norfolk and couldn't figure out why he wasn't being called up. I suppose he was the ultimate AAAA hitter.

RealityChuck Jun 07 2022 06:22 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Mike Vail. Came up looking like a star, so good that they traded away Rusty Staub. Big mistake. Don Bosch, though Bosch himself thought he wasn't as good as advertised. I expected more for Jim Fregosi. He was on a potential HOF track until traded to the Mets. Sean Fitzmaurice, mostly because he had a great name.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 07 2022 06:25 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

=RealityChuck post_id=95242 time=1654647774 user_id=82] I expected more for Jim Fregosi. He was on a potential HOF track until traded to the Mets.

You could say the same for George Foster. (Vince Coleman would say the same about himself if you asked him.)

nymr83 Jun 07 2022 10:09 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Willets Point wrote: Roberto Petagine. I saw him breaking records down in Norfolk and couldn't figure out why he wasn't being called up. I suppose he was the ultimate AAAA hitter. that is a good one! Petagine would achieve the AAAA players' dream and dominate the Japanese league (is that AAAAA?) for a few seasons.

Edgy MD Jun 07 2022 10:17 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

He was a favorite of data crunchers, always lamenting the lack of opportunities he got in the bigs, despite an auspicious minor league résumé.

roger_that Jun 08 2022 02:41 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Edgy MD wrote: He was a favorite of data crunchers, always lamenting the lack of opportunities he got in the bigs, despite an auspicious minor league résumé. Bet you guys didn't know you were posting on his 51st birthday: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=petagi001rob Those minor league stats look very tasty. Usually that OBP carries over to the major league handily, which is very tasty indeed.

Fman99 Jun 08 2022 04:11 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Benjamin Grimm wrote: http://ultimatemets.com/cards/JasonBay1975.jpg> First name that came to mind for me also

Fman99 Jun 08 2022 04:28 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

=kcmets post_id=95207 time=1654636661 user_id=53]Jorge Toca!

Second name that came to mind

Edgy MD Jun 08 2022 05:47 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Roberto had a rough time of it with the Japanese baseball media who, despite his consistently terrific performances, were seemingly more interested in writing about his marriage. Coming back to the States to play for Pawtucket at 34 cost him several million dollars. He was terrific as usual but, you know, waiting for David Ortiz to get hurt.

seawolf17 Jun 08 2022 06:42 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

There were a handful of guys in the late 80s who were "prospects" to me that I would add to my Micro League Baseball team, they'd go gangbusters, and I'd be like THE METS SHOULD CALL THIS GUY UP HE'S AWESOME. I would go through the yearbook, or the minor league team sets, and find these guys who hit twenty homers in AA or stole 40 bases in AAA and just assume they'd do the same thing in the majors. Toca is one. So is Terrel Hansen. Another guy who I'd add who hasn't come up yet is Chris Donnels. We shared a name, which I thought was cool because the Mets didn't have any other Chrises at the time, and he seemed like a guy who could do what Gregg Jefferies couldn't. Also Julio Valera, who I think won 20 games multiple times for me in Micro League.

roger_that Jun 08 2022 06:51 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

I Dream of Petagine.

kcmets Jun 08 2022 07:46 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

=Fman99 post_id=95299 time=1654684129 user_id=86] =kcmets post_id=95207 time=1654636661 user_id=53]Jorge Toca!

Second name that came to mind


I have like a dozen of his rookie card if anyone would like a freebie. lol

Chad ochoseis Jun 08 2022 09:31 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Mo Vaughn deserves a shout out in this thread. And, of course, as good as Doc and Straw were in the mid-80s, they never became the HOFers and career Mets that we'd hoped they'd become. OE: Travis d'Arnaud!

G-Fafif Jun 08 2022 09:41 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Prospect: Dave Schneck. Established Star: Roberto Alomar. Midseason Pickup: Tom Paciorek. Recidivist: Jeromy Burnitz/Roger Cedeño 2.0.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 08 2022 12:22 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Sidd Finch.

Edgy MD Jun 08 2022 12:28 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

=G-Fafif post_id=95337 time=1654702901 user_id=55] Prospect: Dave Schneck. Established Star: Roberto Alomar. Midseason Pickup: Tom Paciorek. Recidivist: Jeromy Burnitz/Roger Cedeño 2.0.

Yeah, that Alomar thing is weird.



There's no shame in coming back to Earth in your mid-30s, but Alomar arrived to the Mets coming of an MVP-caliber season — possibly (probably?) the best of his career. And he was coming off 12 consecutive All Star seasons, so it was no outlier. He left Cleveland consistently excellent and at his best.



The guy who arrived was an average, replaceable, National League secondbaseman — no big whoop in virtually any facet of his game. Someday, there's going to be a book about what Cleveland knew that the Mets did not.

roger_that Jun 08 2022 12:45 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Edgy MD wrote: Alomar arrived to the Mets coming of an MVP-caliber season — possibly (probably?) the best of his career. According to BBref, his 1999 was a hair better than his 2001 (120/100 RBI, 138/113 R, 24/20 HR, 7.4/7.3 WAR. #3 MVP/#4 MVP) but point taken. The part that killed me was how fiercely Mets fans resisted seeing what was in front of their eyes. Especially in the field--he was worse defensively than offensively, in my opinion, from the start, and I remember being told what a glove wizard he was and how he was helping the team on defense. I was all "B-b-but he looks like a monkey trying to fuck a football out there! WTF are you talking about, glove wizard my hairy Irish ass!" and so on and so forth.

smg58 Jun 08 2022 06:16 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=95244 time=1654647943 user_id=68] =RealityChuck post_id=95242 time=1654647774 user_id=82] I expected more for Jim Fregosi. He was on a potential HOF track until traded to the Mets.

You could say the same for George Foster. (Vince Coleman would say the same about himself if you asked him.)


Foster is a no-brainer. And Coleman has to be mentioned too. Brett Saberhagen and Bobby Bonilla. Mel Rojas, because I expected him to be a better pitcher than I am. Do I hear a vote for Richie Hebner?

Edgy MD Jun 08 2022 07:04 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Hebner was fine. Miserable, maybe, but fine. We probably won the Hebner/Espinosa trade.

DocTee Jun 09 2022 04:50 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Carlos Baerga. Alex Ochoa. Ellis Valentine.

Gwreck Jun 09 2022 06:09 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Chris Bassitt. (Too soon?)

smg58 Jun 09 2022 06:23 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

How could I forget Greg Jefferies?

Willets Point Jun 09 2022 08:26 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Despite not becoming the next generation of Mets' superstars, I was impressed that Gregg Jefferies, Dave Magadan, and Kevin Elster all played into the 2000s.

MFS62 Jun 09 2022 08:44 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Ike Davis. Later

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 09 2022 04:53 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Similar with Berenyi, I don't see Ike Davis --a guy whose career trajectory was so obviously impacted by injuries-- as a "thought he would do better guy." He had a rookie season that was as good as a mid-career year for a "pretty solid major leaguer" much older than him; how much better could he have been? Sure he never really improved on that but--that was injuries, then a disease that robbed him of his energy and strength. Who could have thought he *should* have better given that? Should have been luckier? Sure.

MFS62 Jun 09 2022 05:10 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Similar with Berenyi, I don't see Ike Davis --a guy whose career trajectory was so obviously impacted by injuries-- as a "thought he would do better guy." He had a rookie season that was as good as a mid-career year for a "pretty solid major leaguer" much older than him; how much better could he have been? Sure he never really improved on that but--that was injuries, then a disease that robbed him of his energy and strength. Who could have thought he *should* have better given that? Should have been luckier? Sure. I could. And did. He had his best year just before many major leaguers have their best years, age 27-32. I thought he would have had a longer, better, career than he ended up with. Bad luck derailed that. Later

Frayed Knot Jun 09 2022 06:05 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

=MFS62 post_id=95453 time=1654816206 user_id=60] Bad luck derailed that.

And possibly some bad off-field habits.

Centerfield Jun 09 2022 10:20 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Roberto Alomar George Foster Victor Diaz Dave Magadan Lee Mazzilli Dwight Gooden Alex Ochoa Frank Viola Johan Santana Matt Harvey David Wright Luis Castillo Oliver Perez Yoenis Cespedes Gregg Jeffries Noah Syndergaard Steven Matz Jason Tyner Jeromy Burnitz Alex Escobar Fartinez Ahmed Rosario Eddie Kunz Butch Huskey Roger McDowell David West Billy Beane Mike Jacobs Eddie Murray Vince Coleman Aaron Heilman Tommy Herr Edgardo Alfonzo Tony Fernandez Hideo Nomo Kaz Matsui Pedro Astacio Pedro Martinez Kevin Appier Juan Samuel Pete Harnisch Bill Pulsipher Jason Isringhausen Paul Wilson Bernard Gilkey Todd Hundley Daniel Murphy Carlos Baerga Duaner Sanchez Lance Johnson Len Dykstra Bobby Ojeda Ike Davis Dilson Herrera Ron Darling Bobby Parnell Rico Brogna David Segui Randy Milligan Mo Vaughn Jason Bay Tom Glavine Guillermo Mota Satoru Komiyama Robin Ventura Richard Hidalgo Pedro Astacio Grant Roberts Cliff Floyd Sean Green Tony Fernandez Nolan Ryan Jeff Kent Donnie Stevenson Garth Brooks

MFS62 Jun 10 2022 06:23 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Not counting over-the-hill retreads in the post-expansion years and untried rookies with big hype, the player who fit this description who started it all in my mind - a player who came to the Mets, who had decent years with his prior club, then got to the Mets and started his decline - was George Altman. I expected at least a few decent years from him. I gave this a name - the George Altman Syndrome, a malady that would continue to affect many Mets acquisitions over the years, many of whom have been listed in this thread. Later

seawolf17 Jun 10 2022 07:13 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Similar with Berenyi, I don't see Ike Davis --a guy whose career trajectory was so obviously impacted by injuries-- as a "thought he would do better guy." He had a rookie season that was as good as a mid-career year for a "pretty solid major leaguer" much older than him; how much better could he have been? Sure he never really improved on that but--that was injuries, then a disease that robbed him of his energy and strength. Who could have thought he *should* have better given that? Should have been luckier? Sure. I could. And did. He had his best year just before many major leaguers have their best years, age 27-32. I thought he would have had a longer, better, career than he ended up with. Bad luck derailed that. Later Yeah, I'll agree with 62 on this. I think Ike falls into the same sort of weird "quad-A slugging 1B" bucket that Dom is in right now (and so many other guys, some of whom have been mentioned here, like Petagine).

G-Fafif Jun 10 2022 12:54 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Leon Brown had a world of speed. We blinked and he was gone.

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 10 2022 01:39 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Davis is only disappointing if you didn't know he was hurt.

Willets Point Jun 10 2022 03:55 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Scott Kazmir

MFS62 Jun 10 2022 04:30 PM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Davis is only disappointing if you didn't know he was hurt. The original post said this thread was about "Who are some Mets who you thought would have a better career in the orange and blue? This doesnt mean you thought the guy would be a top player, just have a better career here than they ending up having. Not necessarily stars or top prospects either, any kind of player will do. It says nothing about cause. Davis fits that description to me. Later

MFS62 Jun 15 2022 07:51 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

I woke up this morning and one name came to me. Bill Wakefield. He started and relieved for the 1964 Mets, with one of the best ERAs on the staff.(3.61?) Next year, he was gone from the majors - forever. I gotta' get a life. Later

Johnny Lunchbucket Jun 15 2022 07:58 PM Re: Adopted: Francisco Alvarez

Using the some of the literal interpretations of this question my answer can only be Benny Ayala. I literally thought he would hit a home run in every at-bat over the course of a long career, and once it was clear that was no longer a realistic expectations for Ayala, I was unable adjust my expectations and therefore, am still compelled to think of Benny Ayala first among the 1,100 players to have passed through the org as guys I thought would have better careers as Mets.

G-Fafif Jun 30 2022 10:06 AM Re: Mets who you thought would be better

Edgy MD wrote: Hebner was fine. Miserable, maybe, but fine. We probably won the Hebner/Espinosa trade. Hebner was also popular among organized Catholic youth — and his popularity was deemed a bigger story by the Daily News than the farewell to a Shea Stadium institution. http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/wp-content/uploads/25EB957C-78C3-4017-B3BD-03676B0E8022.jpeg>