Mike Piazza and the Rest of the All-Time New York Mets Team

The New York Mets will commemorate their 50th anniversary by announcing their All-Time Team on June 17th in Manhattan.

Here is a prediction of that list featuring the best player at each position in New York Mets history. Excluded are Hall-of-Famers whose prime seasons came prior to or after playing for the club.

Mike Piazza, Catcher

Mike Piazza will not just go down as the best offensive catcher in Mets history, but potentially in baseball history.

Piazza put up lofty career numbers, with his prime coming during his days wearing blue and orange.

In 1998 the Mets traded for Piazza from the Florida Marlins in exchange for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz.

Piazza immediately boosted the Mets into contenders and led the Mets to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history, highlighted by a 2000 National League pennant.

In his career, Piazza hit 427 career home runs and owns the Major League record for most home runs as catcher, with 220 homers coming as a Met.

Piazza was not re-signed after the 2005 season, but will be forever held in high regard with the club.

His memorable home run on September 21, 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center was a transcending moment in New York sports, and for a short time it allowed the city to take their minds off the disaster.

Honorable Mention: Gary Carter (1985-1989), Jerry Grote (1966-1977)

Keith Hernadez, First Base

The heart and soul of the 1986 World Champion team was Keith Hernandez.

The fiery, fearless first baseman was a tremendous clutch hitter on some of the best teams in club history.

Hernandez was traded to the Mets in 1983, against his desire, but was part of the re-building phase of the Mets which culminated in a World Series title in 1986, and a division title in 1988.

Hernandez was named co-MVP with Willie Stargell in 1979 while playing with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Keith was nearly the first league MVP in club history in 1984, finishing second to Ryne Sandberg. He also finished eighth and fourth, respectively, in 1985 and 1986.

Although he was a terrific hitter, Keith is held in highest regard for his defensive prowess. He won 11 consecutive Gold Gloves and is considered to be one of the best fielding first basemen in Major League history.

He may never be elected to the Hall of Fame, but Hernandez had a very successful career and is one of the best players ever to wear a Mets uniform.

Honorable Mention: Carlos Delgado (2006-2009), John Olerud (1997-1999), Ed Kranepool (1962-1979)

Edgardo Alfonzo, Second Base

One of the most underappreciated stars in Mets history is Edgardo Alfonzo.

Alfonzo's defining moment as a Met came on August 30, 1999 when he went 6-for-6 with six RBI and three home runs against the Houston Astros.

His production from 1999-2000 is unmatched for a Mets second basemen. He hit .313 during that span, averaging 26 home runs and 101 RBI while playing tremendous defense.

He was part of the record-breaking Mets defense in 1999 which made only 69 total errors during the season, with a remarkably low infield total of 27.

Alfonzo's production tapered off during 2001 and 2002 before he signed with San Francisco.

Mets fans will always appreciated "Fonzie" for his ability and his role on the 1999 and 2000 playoff clubs.

Honorable Mention: Wally Backman (1980-1988), Ron Hunt (1963-1966)

David Wright, Third Base

David Wright is only 29 years old and already owns the club record for career RBI with 743, and if he continues at his current career pace, he will surely eclipse several other club records.

David Wright has the potential to be the rare Mets star that spends his entire career with the club. He came up in July 2004 and took over the No. 5 spot in the lineup and No. 5 spot in the field while wearing No. 5 and never looked back.

It's tough not to appreciate his professionalism, given the roller coaster the Mets organization has gone through during his tenure. Wright was part of the dreadful Art Howe days, the exciting beginning to the Willie Randolph days, the 2006 NL East-winning club, the consecutive collapses in 2007 and 2008, and the inept first three years of Citi Field.

He has endured a beanball to the head, a broken back and broken fingers, yet he goes to work everyday and does his job.

Wright is off to a quick start this season, reminiscent of his peak years from 2005-2008 in which he hit .311 and averaged 29 homers, 112 RBI, 115 runs and 15 stolen bases with a .924 OPS. He won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers, and placed in the top 10 in MVP voting three times.

Perhaps Wright's greatest moment was his walk-off double off Mariano Rivera during a 2006 Subway Series match-up, in which he jumped jubilantly as the ball went over Johnny Damon's head.

The book is not closed on David Wright, and it could be open for a long time depending how the front office handles his impending free agency.

Honorable Mention: Howard Johnson (1985-1993)

Jose Reyes, Shortstop

Mets fans loved nothing more than to see Jose Reyes smack a ball into the right-center field alley and turn on the jets. He is a rare talent that blends electrifying speed, terrific bat control, power, switch-hitting ability, soft hands and a cannon for an arm.

Despite departing and signing with the Miami Marlins after the 2011 season, Jose Reyes was the best shortstop in Mets history.

He went out with a bang by winning the first batting title in club history with a .337 average, barely eclipsing Ryan Braun on the last day of the season.

Jose was signed as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic and made his debut just prior to his 20th birthday in 2003.

Reyes owns the franchise record for stolen bases and triples, and would have accumulated even gaudier numbers had he been able to avoid the disabled list.

Jose is a tremendous talent and was the most dynamic shortstop in baseball during his tenure with the New York Mets.

Honorable Mention: Bud Harrelson (1965-1977)

Carlos Beltran, Center Field

Aside from his disappointing 2005 season, which directly followed his 7-year $119 million contract, Carlos Beltran had a fantastic career with the New York Mets.

Beltran was a force in the lineup and a smooth defender roaming the Shea and Citi Field outfield.

His best seasons came from 2006-2008, in which he averaged 34 homers and 113 RBI to go along with Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Beltran's shining moment with the Mets came during a 2006 game against the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. He stepped in against Jason Isringhausen with the Mets trailing 7-6 in the ninth inning and launched the first pitch into the bullpen, shortly after Mets announcer Gary Cohen proclaimed, "one swing could win it for New York."

Obviously, many fans will never get over how that season ended, when Beltran took a called third strike from Adam Wainwright with two out in the ninth and the bases loaded in Game 7 of the NLCS.

Beltran has been unfairly criticized. He played through many injuries, but others were impossible to perform with.

Beltran is currently off to a torrid start for the once-again defending champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Honorable Mention: Mookie Wilson (1980-1989)

Darryl Strawberry, Right Field

Darryl Strawberry was drafted first overall by the New York Mets in the 1983 amateur draft out of Crenshaw HS in California.

He was dubbed the "black Ted Williams" for his prodigious power and pure hitting ability. He won the Rookie of the Year in 1983, and compiled tremendous power numbers throughout his career with the Mets.

Strawberry still holds the franchise record with 252 home runs.

Unfortunately, his career should have spanned much longer if not for his drug and alcohol addiction.

Strawberry finished in the top six in MVP voting three separate times with the Mets and should have won it in 1988, due to his 39 home runs eclipsing the eventual MVP Kirk Gibson's by 14.

It's a shame to see such a talent be curtailed by drug problems. It's mind-boggling that he was able to accumulate such numbers given the fact that much of his prime was drug-ridden.

Strawberry is held in high regard in club history, and during his nine-year Mets tenure he was one of the most feared hitters in the league.

Honorable Mention: Rusty Staub (1972-1975, 1981-1985)

Cleon Jones, Left Field

It is hard to believe that, with all the established stars the Mets have had play left field, nobody has hit 100 career home runs while playing left field for the Mets.

Some terrific individual seasons were had by Bernard Gilkey in 1996, Cliff Floyd in 2005, Rickey Henderson in 1999 and Moises Alou in 2007 but Cleon Jones has compiled the best aggregate career numbers while manning the seven position for the Mets.

Cleon Jones was an integral part of the Mets World Series team in 1969, making the catch to record the Series' final out. He finished seventh in the MVP voting, still finishing behind teammates Tom Seaver (second) and Tommie Agee (sixth).

That season was his best season as he hit .340 with 12 homers 75 RBI and a .904 OPS.

Jones played with the Mets from 1963 to 1975 and was one of the only potent bats in the Mets lineup during those years.

Left field has not seen too many terrific careers in Shea or Citi Field, and perhaps Jason Bay was doomed from the beginning.

Honorable Mention: George Foster (1982-1986)

Tom Seaver, Starting Pitcher

Tom Seaver came to the Mets in 1966 fresh out of USC. He took his spot in the rotation and never looked back until he was traded to Cincinnati in 1977.

Seaver won the Rookie of the Year in 1967 with a 16-13 record and a 2.76 ERA for a Mets club that scored 498 runs on the season, which is an average of 3.07 runs per game.

"The Franchise" remained incredibly consistent during his career, and was the anchor of the rotation for the 1969 World Series club.

When Seaver was traded to the Reds in 1977, it was obviously extremely unpopular with the fan base. Seaver was the best pitcher in club history and the Mets ownership was unwilling to pay him his desired money.

Of course, after several near misses in Queens, Seaver threw his first career no-hitter while with the Reds, a feat Mets pitchers have still not accomplished.

Seaver was traded back to the Mets in 1983, but at that point he was not the same pitcher.

During his prime, Seaver averaged 18 wins per year with a putrid Mets offense supplying him virtually no run support. He averaged 271 innings per year, with a 2.48 ERA with three Cy Young Awards, narrowly missing in 1971 and 1972.

Seaver will go down as one of the faces of the Mets franchise and is the only current Mets player to have his number retired and wearing their cap in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

He finished his career with 311 wins, earning the 300th at Yankee Stadium while a member of the Chicago White Sox. He received 98.84 percent of votes for the Hall of Fame, which is still a record.

Honorable Mention: Dwight Gooden (1984-1994), Jerry Koosman (1967-1978)

John Franco, Relief Pitcher

Growing up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and graduating from St. John's University, John Franco seemed destined to eventually play for New York.

Franco had already compiled a successful career with the Cincinnati Reds in his six seasons, winning the NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1988 prior to joining the Mets.

Franco was traded to the Mets in 1989 and remained the Mets' closer until he switched to the setup role in 1999 when Armando Benitez was the fireman.

During his career, Franco compiled 424 saves in 21 seasons with a 2.89 in 1,245 innings. He was named to the All-Star team twice, and won another Reliever of the Year award with the Mets in 1990.

276 of Franco's 424 saves came in a Mets uniform, one that had a 'C' sewn on it once Franco was named the third Mets captain in franchise history.

Franco is small in stature, at 5'10", but did not lack toughness and command. He primarily used an upper-80s fastball with a devastating circle change which faded away from right-handed hitters.

One of his brightest moments with the Mets was during the 2000 NLDS, in which he struck out Barry Bonds looking on a change-up on the inside corner to end Game 2.

Franco is a hero in Mets lore and is also remembered for his charity work following the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Honorable Mention: Jesse Orosco (1979-1987)