New York Mets All-Time 25-Man Roster

Catcher – Mike Piazza

In the 1990s Mike Piazza was the best catcher in the game. He was perennial All-Star. He could hit for average and power. Things were souring as he hit free agency with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That led to a trade with the Florida Marlins. The Marlins were a bit of way station  though because they couldn’t keep him.

Enter the Mets, who needed a big bat, especially behind the plate where Todd Hundley was battling injuries. The Mets swung the deal that changed the fortunes of the franchise by sending Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz for Piazza on May 22 1998.

All Piazza would do from there is make seven All-Star teams in the eight years he was a Met. He won the Silver Slugger four times. He drove in 100 runs twice and had over 30 homers four times.

Piazza is third all time in homers and RBI for the Mets in their history. He was the guy on a Mets team in 1999 that made the Wild Card and almost beat the Atlanta Braves in NLCS. He was the guy on the team that was the big bat on an NL Pennant winner in 2000.

He was also the guy who hit the most dramatic homer in Mets history in the first game for the Mets after the 9/11 terror attacks.