New York Mets: Five best catchers in franchise history
4. Todd Hundley
Remember this guy, Mets fans? I’m sure you do. Well, maybe a lot of you remember him as the guy that gave up his position for Mike Piazza. But in case you forgot he had a terrific career with the Mets in his own right.
He was actually a terrific defensive player, with his fielding percentage never dropping below .975. Todd debuted in 1990 but it did take a few years for the hitting to catch up with the defense. He didn’t reach double-digit home runs until 1993 when he posted 11. His coming out party on offense came in 1996 when he hit 41 home runs and drove in 112 runs. The homers are still tied for the Mets single season record and were the Major League record for catchers at the time.
Hundley was actually told that even though he was injured, he would not lose his position due to the availability of Mike Piazza. Unfortunately for Hundley, general manager Steve Phillips went back on his word and brought Piazza to town on a blockbuster trade. They tried to keep Hundley around as an outfielder but it just didn’t work out.
Over nine years with the Mets, Hundley hit 124 home runs and drove in 397 runs. He was prolific behind the plate and left his mark in Mets history.