New York Mets: Top 10 Outfielders in Team History

In part eight of the greatest Mets in team history, we move onto outfielders.

The Mets have certainly had their fair share of talented outfielders. Whether it be power, speed or defense, many Mets outfielders have excelled in at least one or two aspects of the game.

Jason Bay, Angel Pagan and Lucas Duda are the current starting outfielders for the Mets. All three have been disappointing this year, but hopefully, they will improve soon.

With this being said, here are the top ten outfielders in Mets history.

Honorable Mention: Frank Thomas

Starting off the list with an honorable mention is the first notable outfielder in Mets history. That would be Frank Thomas. Not to be confused with the Frank "Big Hurt" Thomas of the White Sox in the 1990s, this Frank Thomas also happened to be one of the better sluggers of his time and set the offensive standard for the Mets. 

Thomas had spent 1951-1958 with the Pirates, 1959 with the Reds, 1960-1961 with the Cubs and the latter part of 1961 with the Braves before getting traded to the Mets for a player to be named later, prior to the 1962 season. 

Thomas was the starting left fielder in the Mets' inaugural game in franchise history and had the best season of any hitter on the worst team in baseball history. He batted just .266 in 1962, but set the Mets' standard with 34 home runs and 94 RBI. Those two single season totals would not be surpassed until 1976 and 1970, respectively. Thomas was a pull hitter and his swing was designed for the Polo Grounds with its left field porch.

Thomas did not find the exact same success in 1963. His average only fell to .260, but his home run and RBI totals slipped to 15 and 60, respectively. He then played in just 60 games in 1964 before getting traded to the Phillies in August for Gary Kroll and Wayne Graham. Thomas had a .254 average, three home runs and 19 RBI before the trade.

Thomas spent the rest of 1964 and part of 1965 with the Phillies before spending the latter portion of 1965 in stints with the Astros and Braves. He then spent 1966 with the Cubs before retiring.

Frank Thomas' Mets tenure may not have been the most memorable, but he certainly deserves credit for establishing the original offensive standard for the Mets.

10. Dave Kingman

The number ten spot belongs to Dave Kingman, one of the most feared sluggers of his time and the first genuine slugger the Mets had ever had.

Known for his monstrous power and breathtaking 500+ ft homers, "Kong" made the most of his two brief stints with the team. However, when he wasn't hitting home runs, the free-swinging Kingman always racked up a lot of strikeouts. Furthermore, his batting average and OBP were both consistently on the low side.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Giants from 1971-1974, Kingman was sold to the Mets following the 1974 season. He immediately became a force for the Mets' offense by setting a then-franchise record with 36 home runs to go along with 88 RBI. During that season, Kingman split time between left field and first base.

Kingman was even better in 1976. His average rose from .231 to .238, and he broke his own record with 37 home runs. He was named an All-Star that year and started in right field during the game.

Kingman's 1977 season was rather odd. He only had 9 home runs in June by the time he became part of the "Midnight Massacre." After the Mets infamously traded away Tom Seaver, Kingman was then sent to the Padres for future Mets manager Bobby Valentine.

In September, the Angels claimed Kingman off waivers and six days later, he was sent to the Yankees, where he finished the season. Although the Yankees won the 1977 World Series, Kingman was not included on the roster. That year, he became the only person in history to play in all four divisions at that time.

Kingman then played the next three seasons with the Cubs and led the league in 1979 with 48 home runs. He then got traded back to the Mets prior to the 1981 season in an attempt by the Mets' new ownership to please the fan base.

He had just 22 home runs and 59 RBI in 1981, but returned to his normal self the following year by hitting 37 home runs, which once again led the league, and driving in 99 RBI. In his final Mets season in 1983, Kingman batted below .200 and did not play as much, especially after the Mets acquired Keith Hernandez. He finished with only 13 home runs and 29 RBI.

Kingman spent his final three seasons mostly as a designated hitter with the Oakland A's. After playing twenty minor league games within the Giants organization in 1987, he retired. He finished his career with 442 home runs, yet only got voted on three Hall of Fame ballots during his first year of eligibility. As a result, he became the first player with over 400 home runs to not get a Hall of Fame induction.

Dave Kingman's Mets tenure was not the longest, and the teams he played on certainly were not particularly good, but Kingman was a fan favorite and those that saw him will probably never forget some of the long home runs he hit.

9. Kevin McReynolds

Although he was not on the 1986 championship team, one of the best Mets hitters in the 1980s was Kevin McReynolds.

McReynolds was not always the most enjoyable person to be around, according to teammates and the media, but he was always a solid hitter. 

McReynolds began his professional career with the Padres, whom he played for from 1983-1986. The Mets traded away a young Kevin Mitchell, plus Stan Jefferson and Shawn Abner for McReynolds, Gene Walter and Adam Ging after the 1986 World Series.

While Mitchell would eventually develop into a great hitter with the Giants and win the NL MVP Award in 1989, McReynolds became one of the Mets' most reliable hitters in the late 1980s. He became the Mets' everyday left fielder in 1987 and finished the season with a .276 average, 32 doubles, 29 home runs and 95 RBI. 

McReynolds then had a career season in 1988 as the Mets won the NL East title. He raised his average to .288, hit 27 home runs and drove in 99 RBI. He was also 21/21 in stolen base attempts, which set a new MLB record. Those numbers helped him finish in 3rd place for the NL MVP voting behind teammate Darryl Strawberry and eventual winner Kirk Gibson of the Dodgers. McReynolds batted .250 in the 1988 NLCS, but hit 2 home runs and drove in 4 RBI in 28 at-bats.

McReynolds had another solid season in 1989 and finished with a .272 average, 22 home runs and 85 RBI. His contributions were counted on even more heavily after Lenny Dykstra and Mookie Wilson were traded away. On August 1, McReynolds became the fifth Met in team history to hit for the cycle.

In 1990, McReynolds batted .269 with 24 home runs and 82 RBI. It was his last solid season as his numbers dropped in 1991. Without Strawberry around to protect him in the lineup, McReynolds' average that year fell to .259 and he had only 16 home runs and 74 RBI. 

After the Mets' failures of 1991, new General Manager Al Harazin decided to change the team in significant ways. He traded McReynolds, along with Gregg Jefferies and Keith Miller to the Royals for Bret Saberhagen and Bill Pecota. 

McReynolds spent 1992-1993 with the Royals before returning to the Mets prior to the 1994 season in exchange for the disappointing Vince Coleman. At this point, McReynolds became more of a part-time player. He batted .256 with 4 home runs and 21 RBI in 1994. He then retired after the season.

Kevin McReynolds may not have had as many memorable moments as someone of his former Mets teammates, but he was definitely one of the better outfielders the Mets have ever had.

8. Lenny Dykstra

One key cog in the Mets' success in the 1980s was Lenny Dykstra. He became the leadoff hitting sparkplug the team needed to win. Dykstra did not play much in 1985, and finished the year with a .254 average, one home run and 19 RBI. 

In his first full season in 1986, Dykstra started at center field and hit .295 with 8 home runs, 45 RBI, a team-leading 31 stolen bases, and a .377 OBP.

Known as Nails, his role was to get on base, so that the big hitters like Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry could drive him in. Dykstra played a solid center field and played a huge role in the 1986 World Series by hitting two very clutch home runs.

He followed up the championship season by hitting .285 with 10 home runs, 43 RBI, 37 doubles, 27 stolen bases, and a .352 OBP in 1987. In 1988, he hit .270 with 8 home runs, 33 RBI, 30 steals, and a .321 OBP in 1988.

At this point, Dykstra was platooning in center field with Mookie Wilson with the slugging Kevin McReynolds being a fixture in left field. With this conundrum of playing time, the Mets apparently felt that one of Dykstra or Wilson had to go.

As it turns out, both got traded in 1989. Dykstra, along with Roger McDowell was sent to the Phillies for Juan Samuel in one of the worst trades in franchise history. Dykstra was batting .270 with three home runs and 13 RBI before the trade.

Dykstra spent the rest of his career with the Phillies by leading them to the 1993 World Series and becoming a fan favorite there, while Samuel was gone after the 1989 season and did close to nothing in his short stint with the Mets.

Lenny Dykstra was definitely one of better outfielders the Mets have had, and until Jose Reyes came along, he was most likely the best leadoff hitter in team history. 

7. Lee Mazzilli

One of the best Mets outfielders and hitters in the 1970s was Lee Mazzilli. The Brooklyn-born fan favorite had two solid stints with the Mets and was one of the most popular players during his time.

Mazzilli first came up in 1976 as a September call-up. He only batted .195 with two home runs and seven RBI for the month. In his first full season in 1977, Mazzilli batted .250 with six home runs and 46 RBI. 

He had his breakout season in 1978 with a .273 average, 16 home runs and 61 RBI. However, his best season was a year later in 1979 when he batted a career high .303 with 15 home runs and a career high 79 RBI. He also had 181 hits, 34 doubles, 34 stolen bases and a .395 OBP. He made his only All-Star team that year. 

In 1980, Mazzilli was shifted to first base, but continued to hit. He batted .280 with 16 home runs, 76 RBI, 31 doubles and a career high 41 stolen bases.

That would be Mazzilli's last great year in his first Mets stint. In 1981, Mazzilli only appeared in 95 games due to back and elbow injuries. He only batted .228 for the year with six home runs and 34 RBI. 

Right before the beginning of the 1982 season, Mazzilli was traded to the Rangers for Ron Darling and Walt Terrell, which was a trade that immediately benefitted the Mets. Mazzilli played part of the season with the Rangers before getting traded to the Yankees for the rest of the year. After the season, Mazzilli was traded once again to the Pirates. He stayed in Pittsburgh until he was released in August of 1986. That was when the Mets wisely picked him up to add more bench depth.

After returning to the Mets, Mazzilli batted .276 with two home runs and seven RBI. He batted .400 during the World Series.

In 1987, as a part-time player, Mazzilli batted .306 with three home runs and 24 RBI. In 1988, his average fell to just .147 and he had no home runs and 12 RBI. 

Mazzilli's final season with the Mets was in 1989. He was only batting .183 with two home runs and seven RBI before getting claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. He retired after the season.

Since retiring, Mazzilli was a first base coach with the Yankees under former manager Joe Torre from 2000-2003. He then managed the Orioles from 2004-2005. After spending 2006 as the Yankees bench coach, Mazzilli became the SNY studio analyst for Mets games. Former teammate Bob Ojeda replaced him in 2009.

Lee Mazzilli was one of the Mets' best hitters in the late 1970s and later became one of the Mets' more reliable pinch-hitters in the late 1980s.

6. Tommie Agee

One of the greatest center fielders the Mets have had was definitely Tommie Agee. 

After spending 1962-1964 with the Indians and 1965-1967 with the White Sox, the Mets traded for Agee and Al Weis after the 1967 season.

Agee did not have a particularly great year in 1968 with just a .217 average, five home runs and 17 RBI. However, he truly arrived in 1969 when he batted .271 with 26 home runs and 76 RBI. He was a dependable leadoff hitter with power and was known for making the most spectacular catches. He hit well and made two amazing catches in the 1969 World Series that prevented a combined five runs from scoring.

Another amazing moment for Agee that year was when he hit a monstrous home run into Shea Stadium's Upper Deck. It was the first home run to reach the level and a sign was soon painted to commemorate Agee's blast.

In 1970, Agee batted .286 with 24 home runs and 75 RBI. He also had a 20-game hitting streak in April and May. He followed this up with a .285 average, 14 home runs and 50 RBI in 1971. However, he missed some time due to knee injuries. Those same injuries affected Agee in 1972 as well. For that year, his average dropped significantly to .227 and he finished with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. He then got traded to the Astros after the 1972 season for Rich Chiles and Buddy Harris.

Agee spent 1973 with the Astros and Cardinals before retiring at just 31 years old. 

Agee unfortunately passed away in 2001 due to a heart attack. He was inducted into the Mets' Hall of Fame a year later.

Tommie Agee was the first great center fielder the Mets had ever had and set the Mets' standard for that position.

5. Rusty Staub

Known as "Le Grande Orange", Rusty Staub became one of the Mets' best players in the middle 1970s. He then had a successful second stint with the team as a reliable pinch-hitter.

After spending 1963-1968 with the Astros and 1969-1971 with the Expos, Staub was traded to the Mets on April 6, 1972 for Tim Foli, Mike Jorgenson and Ken Singleton. This move certainly upgraded the Mets' outfield. 

Staub batted .293 with nine home runs and 38 RBI in 1972. He missed almost two months though with a fractured right hand.

In 1973, Staub batted .279 with 15 home runs, 76 RBI, and 36 doubles. However, he was clutch in the 1973 NLCS against the Reds. He hit three home runs and drove in five RBI in the series as the Mets won the pennant that year. In the World Series, Staub batted .423 with one home run and six RBI in 23 at-bats. 

In 1974, Staub's average fell to .258, but he hit 19 home runs and drove in 78 RBI. He followed this up with a .282 average, 19 home runs and a new Mets record 105 RBI, which broke Frank Thomas' single season record of 94. Staub also had a .371 OBP that year. 

Unfortunately, the Mets made a regrettable move by trading Staub after the season to the Tigers for Mickey Lolich. Lolich was a disappointment in 1976 in his only season as a Met, while Staub kept hitting with the Tigers, Expos and Rangers.

After the 1980 season, Staub made Mets fans everywhere very happy by signing with the team as a pinch-hitter. As a part-time utility player and pinch-hitting specialist, Staub batted .317 with five home runs and 21 RBI. 

In 1982, Staub batted just .242, but finished with three home runs and 27 RBI. Staub bounced back in 1983 with a .296 average, three home runs and 28 RBI. 

Staub batted .264 with one home run and 18 RBI in 1984 and .267 with one home run and eight RBI in 1985 before retiring after the 1985 season. 

Staub was inducted into the Mets' Hall of Fame a year later in 1986 and became a club ambassador. He has been very actively within various charities for years and makes occasional appearances at Citi Field.

Rusty Staub's tenure may have been a little too short, but he certainly made the most of his years as a Met.

4. Cleon Jones

One of the most remembered outfielders in the first quarter-century of Mets baseball will always be Cleon Jones. 

Drafted by the Mets, Jones originally got called up in September of 1963, but had just two hits in 15 at-bats. He spent all of 1964 in the minor leagues before getting re-called in 1965. He played the first month of the season before getting demoted in May. He was then re-called in September and finished the year with a .149 average, one home run and nine RBI. 

In 1966, Jones became the everyday center fielder for the Mets. He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting with a .275 average, eight home runs, 57 RBI and 16 stolen bases. In 1967, Jones' average fell to .246 and he finished with just five home runs and 30 RBI. He shared time in center field with Larry Stahl due to his struggles.

Prior to the 1968 season, the Mets traded for Jones' childhood friend, Tommie Agee. Agee, being a former Gold Glove Award winner was given center field and Jones moved to left field. That year, Jones raised his average to .297, set a career high with 14 home runs and drove in 55 RBI. He also set more career highs with 29 doubles and 23 stolen bases.

Despite these numbers, 1969 would become Jones' career season. As the Mets went on to win the World Series that year, Jones set a new Mets standard with a .340 average. He also had 12 home runs, a career high 75 RBI, 25 doubles, 16 stolen bases, and a remarkable .422 OBP. He made his only All-Star team that year. Jones hit .429 in the NLCS against the Braves, but had just three hits in the World Series. Nonetheless, he caught the final out of the series by famously dropping to one knee.

A turning point in the 1969 season occurred in late July when Jones failed to run out a fly ball. Manager Gil Hodges then came out and walked to left field. He then walked back to the dugout with Jones behind him. People originally thought Jones was injured, but sources later believed Hodges removed Jones for a lack of hustle. Nevertheless, it was a turning point for the Mets and it propelled them to their championship.

In 1970, Jones batted .277 with 10 home runs and 63 RBI. He then batted .319 in 1971, good enough for seventh in the National League, tied his career high with 14 home runs and drove in 69 RBI. 

Jones struggled in 1972 as he saw his average drop to just .245. His five home runs and 52 RBI that year were also on the low side. He platooned with John Milner that year in left field.

In 1973, Jones bounced back by batting .260 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI. He then batted .300 in the NLCS and .286 in the World Series that year. However, this time, the Mets did not finish the season with a championship.

Jones' last great year with the Mets was in 1974. He batted .282 with 13 home runs and 60 RBI. But right when 1975 started, everything went downhill for Jones.

He missed the first two months of the season with a knee injury and was in Florida during this time for extended Spring Training. While he was there, he was arrested for indecent exposure after police found him sleeping in a van with a 21-year old girl. The charges were later dropped, but the Mets' chairman M. Donald Grant fined Jones $2,000 for his actions, which was by far the largest fine the Mets had ever given a player. Jones was also forced to apologize at a press conference. 

After returning to the field that year, Jones was batting .240 in 50 at-bats before asking for his release, which he got. He did not get along with manager Yogi Berra and this had a significant effect as to why his Mets career ended when it did. 

Jones was signed by the White Sox in 1976. He batted .200 in 13 games, got released after that and subsequently retired. 

Jones was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1991. He still makes appearances at Citi Field and was there in 2009 during the 1969 Mets' 40th Anniversary tribute.

Cleon Jones was one of the Mets' most dependable outfielders for a decade and his steady contributions will always be remembered by the fans that were fortunate enough to watch him play.

3. Mookie Wilson

At the number three spot is Mookie Wilson, who became a staple for the Mets throughout the 1980s. He could play left field and center field, and was also comfortable with batting at various spots in the lineup.

Wilson first came up in 1980 as a September call-up. He batted .248 in 105 at-bats with no home runs and four RBI. He played more in 1981 and finished with a .271 average, three home runs, 14 RBI and 24 stolen bases.

However, 1982 would be Wilson's breakout season. He became the everyday center fielder and batted .279 with five home runs, a career high 55 RBI, 25 doubles, nine triples, and a career high 58 stolen bases.

Wilson followed this up in 1983 with a .276 average, seven home runs, 51 RBI, 25 doubles and 54 stolen bases. In 1984, Wilson batted .276 with a career high 10 home runs, 54 RBI, 28 doubles, a career high 10 triples, and 46 stolen bases.

In 1985, Wilson batted .276 for the third consecutive year, and finished with six home runs and 26 RBI. He missed two months of the season though with shoulder surgery.

In 1986, thanks to an eye injury that caused him to miss the first month of the season, as well as the emergence of Lenny Dykstra, the Mets had a logjam in the outfield. However, this was solved when George Foster got released later that summer. As a result, Wilson split time between left field and center field. He finished the year with a .289 average, nine home runs, 45 RBI and 25 stolen bases.

He saved his best moments though for the postseason. Although he batted just .115 in the NLCS and .269 in the World Series, Wilson's biggest moment also turned out to be one of the biggest moments in Mets history. 

In Game Six, it was Wilson who had to leap away from Bob Stanley's wild pitch that allowed Kevin Mitchell to score the tying run. That same at-bat, Wilson was part of arguably the Mets' greatest moment ever. He hit a ground ball through Bill Buckner's legs that allowed Ray Knight to score the winning run and force a Game seven that the Mets ultimately won. Wilson became a Met hero after the series.

Wilson batted .299 with nine home runs, 34 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 1987. He then batted .296 with eight home runs, 41 RBI, and 15 stolen bases in 1988 as the Mets made the playoffs again.

As 1989 approached, the Mets decided to rebuild. As a result, Wilson was unfortunately one of the main players the Mets traded that year. He was shipped to the Blue Jays for Jeff Musselman and Mike Brady at the deadline. He then spent the rest of 1989, as well as 1990 and 1991 with the Blue Jays before retiring.

Wilson was inducted into the Mets' Hall of Fame in 1996. A year later, he became Bobby Valentine's first base coach, a position he held through 2002. He then worked in the Mets' minor league affiliates before returning as the first base coach in 2011 under Terry Collins. This move definitely put some smiles on the faces of Mets fans.

Mookie Wilson was one of the best outfielders to ever wear a Mets uniform and the 1986 World Series may not have been the same without him.

2. Carlos Beltran

Although he had his ups and downs and recently just got traded away, Carlos Beltran is arguably the greatest center fielder the Mets have ever had.

Beltran originally came up with the Royals in 1998 and he was there until he got traded to the Astros midway through the 2004 season. He then had one of the best postseasons in MLB history. As a result, the Mets signed him to a seven-year and $119 million contract, which became the largest in team history at the time.

Beltran's 2005 season was rather disappointing. Despite making the All-Star team, Beltran batted .266 with just 16 home runs and 78 RBI. The Mets were expecting a lot more out of him than just those numbers. To add injury to insult, Beltran endured a scary head-on collision with Mike Cameron in San Diego.

Beltran made up for his 2005 struggles in 2006 by having one of the best single seasons in team history. He hit a respectable .275 with 41 homers, which tied Todd Hundley's team record set in 1996, 116 RBI, 38 doubles and a .982 OPS. He won his first of three consecutive Gold Gloves, made another All-Star team and made one spectacular catch after another during that stretch. Beltran that year also proved to be clutch by hitting a few walk-off home runs. However, many people will remember Beltran freezing at a Adam Wainwright curveball, which ended the Mets' season that year in the NLCS.

Beltran proved his 2006 season was not a fluke in 2007. That year, he batted .276, with 33 home runs and 112 RBI. He also had a .353 OBP and a .525 slugging percentage. He made his fourth consecutive trip to the All-Star Game, won his second Silver Slugger award, and won his second Gold Glove award that year.

In 2008, Beltran had another strong season. He raised his average to .284 and finished with 27 home runs and 112 RBI. He also had 116 runs scored, 40 doubles, and a .376 OBP. He won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award as well. Beltran also notably hit the last Mets home run in Shea Stadium history during the season's final game. Unfortunately, the Mets would lose that game and miss the postseason for the second consecutive season.

With the Mets moving into Citi Field, Beltran was expected to hit even better than he did in 2007 and 2008. He gave the fans what they were looking for and had a great first half to his 2009 season. He was batting .325 with 10 home runs, 48 RBI and a .415 OBP at just 81 games played before a painful knee injury ended his season. Ironically, this injury trend became very familiar for almost all of the team's star players that year. He made his fourth All-Star team as a Met, but did not play due to the injury.

In 2010, Beltran went against the Mets' wishes and had surgery on his knee without the team's consent. His recovery process took a while and he wasn't back on the field in a Mets uniform until right after the All-Star break on July 15.When Beltran got back on the field, the Mets had already found a new center fielder in Angel Pagan, but because of Beltran's high profile, Pagan moved to right field so Beltran could play his natural center field. This did not turn out to be the wisest move as Beltran at times looked lost in the outfield and could not run as fast as before due to the knee.

In 64 games that year, Beltran batted .255 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. His hitting was considerably more consistent from the right side as he looked to have lost his left-handed power. Despite the .255 average, Beltran had solid .341 OBP that year.

In 2011, Beltran was expected to get traded at the deadline if he was hitting well. Sure enough, he stayed healthy and got traded to the Giants for prospect Zack Wheeler. Before the trade, Beltran was batting .289 with 15 home runs, 66 RBI and 30 doubles. He also made the All-Star for the fourth time as a Met.

Carlos Beltran's legacy may be viewed more highly by some than others, but it would be very tough to argue that the Mets at one time had a better all-around center fielder than him. 

1. Darryl Strawberry

Being the best position player the Mets have ever developed, Darryl Strawberry is also the best outfielder the Mets have ever had, and by a longshot. He was one of the best hitters in the game during the 1980s and certainly made the most of his stay as a Met. 

Strawberry won the 1983 National League Rookie of the Year by batting .257 with 26 home runs and 74 RBI. He followed this up with a .251 average, 26 home runs, 97 RBI, 27 doubles and 27 stolen bases in 1984. That year, he made his first of eight consecutive trips to the All-Star Game.

In 1985, Strawberry raised his average to .277 and had 29 home runs, 79 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He missed a month that year with a thumb injury. He had another solid season as the feared cleanup hitter in the Mets lineup in 1986 as the Mets won the World Series that year. He finished the season with a .259 average, 27 home runs and 93 RBI. He batted just .227 in the NLCS and .208 in the World Series, but despite that, he also had three home runs and six RBI in both series' combined. 

In 1987, Strawberry took his game to another level and had his best season. He set career highs with a .284 average, 39 home runs, 104 RBI, 32 doubles, and 36 stolen bases. He also had a career high .398 OBP and .583 slugging percentage. He and teammate Howard Johnson became the first teammates from a single year to hit over 30 home runs and steal over 30 bases.

In 1988, Strawberry batted .269 with 39 home runs, 101 RBI, 29 stolen bases and a league leading .545 slugging percentage. He also finished a close second place in the NL MVP voting behind Kirk Gibson and ahead of teammate Kevin McReynolds. In the 1988 NLCS, Strawberry hit .300 with one home run and six RBI, but this time, the Mets were not fortunate enough to make the World Series.

Strawberry's numbers fell off a bit in 1989. His average dropped to just .225 and he had 29 home runs and just 77 RBI that year. 

In what turned out to be his final season as a Met, Strawberry batted .277 with 37 home runs and established a new career high with 108 RBI in 1990.

After the season, Strawberry was seeking a long-term deal and stated that if manager Davey Johnson was not brought back, he would leave the Mets. The Mets offered three years and $9.1 million, but Strawberry saw that as an insult. By then, he had been treated for alcoholism and had issues with his wife. In the end, the Dodgers gave him five years and $20.3 million, which Strawberry accepted.

He then spent 1991-1993 with the Dodgers, 1994 with the Giants and 1995-1999 with the Yankees before retiring. During this portion of his career, Strawberry was making more headlines with his personal life than his baseball career. He battled cancer and a cocaine addiction during this time as well. 

Strawberry hit 252 home runs as a Met (335 for his career), which is more than anyone in team history. His 733 RBI are also a Mets record. He is fourth all time in stolen bases, seventh in games played, third in runs scored, and third in total bases.

Since retiring, Strawberry battled more personal problems and even spent some time in jail for various charges. However, he is on a better path now, and hopefully, this good trend can continue for him.

He was finally elected into the Mets' Hall of Fame in 2010, alongside Dwight Gooden, Davey Johnson and Frank Cashen.

Darryl Strawberry could have turned into a Hall of Fame hitter with his tremendous potential, but despite the personal problems he had later in his career, he is by far the greatest outfielder the Mets have ever had.