Reese Kaplan -- The Mets Best Center Fielders

In his post Creedence Clearwater Revival solo career, John Fogerty proclaimed in song, "Look at me! I can be center field!"  As children center field was one of the most sought after positions as it demanded the ability to move not only in and out, but side to side to prevent batted balls from landing safely.  The Mets have had some interesting players fielding in that role, some of whom also contributed mightily towards scoring runs, too.

Tarnished by his actions while a member of the Houston Astros (which later cost him his managerial gig with the New York Mets), Carlos Beltran still had an enviable Mets career.  It didn't start off all that well with a rough first season in New York, finishing his surprising All Star season with just a .266 average, 16 HRs and 78 RBIs.  However, from 2006 onward he was a different player with a .285 batting average, 32 HRs and 114 RBIs per season to go along with 22 stolen bases.  He won three Gold Gloves while patrolling center field.  The Mets felt he was done when his contract was nearly done after the 2010 season. Instead of paying him $19 million for 2011, they bundled him off in trade to the Giants for a pitching prospect named Zack Wheeler.  The Mets might have been wrong about Beltran who wound up playing through 2017, but they were not wrong about Wheeler who has developed into one of the NL's top starters.     

The first center fielder to make a strong impression on the New York Mets fans was former Chicago White Sox youngster Tommie Agee.  He was truly adept at covering the ground out there.  In addition he was a respected hitter. During his five years at Shea he hit .262, averaging 20 HRs and 65 RBIs to go along with 23 stolen bases.  He was twice in the MVP voting and won a Gold Glove that recognized his stellar skills manning center field.  Considering the Mets acquired him and Al Weiss for mostly Tommy Davis, it was not a bad deal at all.  Unfortunately Agee passed away when only 58 when he went into cardiac arrest in midtown Manhattan. 

The Mets made some headlines when the Wilpons decided to sign free agent center fielder Curtis Granderson who had starred across town with the Yankees.  Known for power and speed, Granderson provided solid defense after a rough first year in the NL.  He played for most of four years for the Mets and hit a relatively weak .235 but contributed not only with his defense but also an annual output of 27 HRs, 69 RBIs and 8 SBs.  He was truly professional out there and although the numbers were not of the ilk he did during his All Star years for the Yankees, the Mets got good value for their investment.

Another beloved player eternally famous for participating in the Game 6, "It gets by Buckner!" moment, Mookie Wilson was as exciting for his defense as he was for his base running.  He platooned early on with Lenny Dykstra, but Wilson played for 10 years while hitting .277 with an average of 9 HRs, 50 RBIs and 40 SBs.  Dykstra hit for a lower average, less power and demonstrated inferior running skills.  We'll leave off his alleged PED abuse and his proven criminal activities post playing days.

Current center fielder Brandon Nimmo likely belongs on this list as well, though he's a recent convert to that position.  His on base percentage has been a thing of beauty since day one.  However, he's added power to his OBP game and right now for his career sports a .266 batting average along with a projected annual output of 17 HRs and 53 RBIs.  Those numbers would be far more impressive if Nimmo could have managed to stay on the field more often.  During his seven years in a Mets uniform he has crossed the 100 game threshold just once.  Going into his free agent year it's entirely possible that he will not be a part of the team's future as they would be saddled with a much larger salary for a man who averages less than half a season of playing time each year.

There have been a few others who were notable for short periods of time like Mike Cameron, Lance Johnson and even Willie Mays.  However, none of them aggregated enough over a long enough period of time to be considered.  Who all do you think belongs here?