New York Mets: Five best left fielders in franchise history
1. Kevin McReynolds
Surprise! I bet most of you didn’t expect to find this guy in the number one position, did you? Well, he gets the win because of the all-around player that he was.
Kevin McReynolds came over to the Mets after the 1986 season. Upon arrival McReynolds became a stabilizing force at a position that saw a lot of platooning in the recent past. He drove in 95 runs that year and in his first four years with the team, never drove in fewer than 82 runs. He peaked in 1988 when the Mets went back to the playoffs. That year, he hit .288 with 27 home runs and 99 RBI. He also stole 21 bases and wasn’t caught once. He did better with the home runs his first year, hitting 29 in 1987 but he was a consistent batting force in that lineup.
He was a solid and durable left fielder, good for 140-150 games per year in left field. He returned to the Mets in 1994 but he was a shill of himself and it was the final year of his career.
Next: Five best second basemen in Mets history
In the field, McReynolds never won a Gold Glove, though he probably should have. He had one season with a fielding percentage of .969, the rest saw him in the high .980s and 1991 with a .992 in left field. The man can’t play much better than that. He was an all-around solid player, both at the plate and out in left field, and he is deserving of this number one position.