When the Mets traded for Mike Piazza last May they not only dramatically improved their chances of making the postseason, but they may have outdone the cross-town Yankees for once. For the first time in years, the best player in New York plays for the Mets. Hallelujah!
The 30-year old catcher is one of the game's best hitters and will most likely prove to be the best hitting catcher of all time. But was he worth the then-unprecedented $91 million the Mets shelled out for him in October for seven years of service?
Without a doubt. In fact, the Mets may have gotten a deal.
Think about it: Kevin Brown has become the first $100 million player already. Both Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez will become free agents after the 2000 season (barring contract extensions) -- and we're talking about two of the best young players in the game. Can abybody say $200 million?
When his contract expires in 2005, Piazza will be 37 and heading into the twilight years of his career, a career he says he wants to finish in a Mets uniform.
Mike Piazza has star power and few players can draw fans to the ballpark like the perennial All-Star catcher. The Mets provided a cornerstone to build future teams around and at the same time guaranteed that the turnstiles will turn, maybe in record numbers, at Shea Stadium for the next seven years.
Nobody doubts Piazza's potency in the batter's box, but how does he stack up against baseball's best hitting catchers?
Quite nicely, thank you. Here's a quick comparison,
using their respective 1998 stats:
AVG HR RBI SLG% OB%
As you can see, Mike Piazza had the highest batting average, the most RBIs, and the highest slugging percentage among all major league catchers. And notice that he was only two home runs shy of Javy Lopez's 34 and mere percentage points behind Jason Kendall's on-base percentage mark. All this, and Piazza had an "off" year!
In years to come, Piazza may have to move out from behind the plate to prolong his playing career, but I don't forsee any drop-off in offensive production on his part, due to his durability and consistency. The New York fans will make sure of it.
After a rough start with the Mets, Mike Piazza was greeted with a chorus of "boos" from a tough New York crowd every time he stepped to the plate or made an out. He has since become a fan favorite; and when rumors that he may leave the Mets in the offseason surfaced, fans pleaded with him not to leave.
And Don't forget, Mets faithful, that Piazza will have Robin Ventura hitting behind him this season -- preventing pitchers from pitching around him -- with Rickey Henderson, Edgardo Alfonzo, and John Olerud setting the table for him.
Yes, Mike Piazza will have a very productive 1999 campaign.
The Mets have a very capable backup backstop in Todd Pratt.
He is only 31 and has proven himself very productive in
stints as the Mets starter, replacing the injured Todd
Hundley in '97 and again in '98, before Piazza arrived.