New York Mets: Five best homegrown players since 1980
4. Mookie Wilson
Most people know Mookie Wilson from the ground ball that sent the city into a buzz in game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Some of our younger readers, however, probably don’t realize that Wilson had a long career here with the Mets. It was a successful one too.
Wilson was drafted in the second round of the 1977 draft and made his debut in 1980. After serving as a part-time player for 1980 and 1981, he got his chance to shine in 1982. He got up 639 official times, hitting .279 with five home runs and 55 RBI. He was known for his speed, going over 45 steals each year for the next three. He missed time in 1985 due to injury and also in the spring of 1986. He played a lot of time in left field when he returned in 1986 thanks to the arrival of Lenny Dykstra.
Everybody knows the ground ball that he hit in October of 1986. Just take a moment, and smile.
Number one put up a career high .299 batting average in 1987, despite the addition of Kevin McReynolds to play left field. In his last full year with the Mets (1988), Mookie hit .296. As an outfielder he was solid, with a career fielding percentage of .982. He wasn’t a Gold Glove winner, but was always a solid player that could be counted on. For an entire decade he was a solid player for the Mets.
He is also well-deserving of a spot on this special list.