Last Updated on July 2, 2024 by Matt Musico
If you take a look at the Mets all time home run leaders list, it’s a who’s who of the franchise’s best hitters. Darryl Strawberry is currently at the top with 252 home runs in Flushing, but his days as the Mets’ all-time home run king could be numbered based on a current slugger who is quickly climbing the ranks.
Let’s get to the Mets all time home run leaders, shall we?
Want to see the Mets slug dingers in person? Grab some tickets from our friends at Vivid Seats. And before you get to the stadium, make sure you’re decked out in the right gear. You can buy our Gary Cohen-inspired gear from our merch shop, or get official Mets merchandise from the MLB Shop.
Mets All Time Home Run Leaders: Top 7
Darryl Strawberry: 252 Home Runs
When Strawberry won the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year honors, he set a rookie club record with 26 home runs. That mark didn’t get broken until Pete Alonso went ham in his own Rookie of the Year campaign in 2019. This number is significant for Straw because it was one he didn’t finish below during his entire time in Queens.
He followed that ’83 campaign up with three more seasons of 26-plus dingers. The sweet-swinging outfielder then posted two straight years of 39 homers in 1987 and 1988. His third year of 30-plus homers in four tries happened in 1990 before leaving for the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency. Strawberry won his second and final Silver Slugger Award while placing third in NL MVP voting that season.
The then-28-year-old slashed .277/.361/.518 with 37 homers and a career-high 108 RBI. His best month was June. Strawberry posted his highest OPS (1.209), homer total (10), and RBI total (27) of any month that season. Just about 75% of his 335 career home runs came with the Mets. From 1983-90, Strawberry posted eight straight years of 20-plus homers. From 1991-99, he surpassed that total in a single season just twice.
David Wright: 242 Home Runs
Unfortunately, David Wright is one of the ultimate “What could’ve been?” situations in baseball. His career was cut short because of health issues — he appeared in just 77 regular-season games from 2015-18. However, he could’ve easily been the Mets’ all-time home run leader had Citi Field not had monstrous dimensions when it opened up in 2009.
Wright slugged 14 home runs in 69 games as a rookie. Then from 2005-08, he enjoyed four straight seasons of 20-plus home runs. The 2007 and 2008 seasons were of special significance because they included 30 homers, 100 RBI, a .900-plus OPS, and back-to-back Silver Sluggers. The biggest culprit (outside of health) that kept Wright out of the top spot of this leaderboard was his 2009 campaign. He slugged 10 homers through 144 games in Citi Field’s inaugural season. He even mentioned in his book that his offensive approach changed because of the cavernous dimensions.
Over the first five seasons of his career, Wright averaged 26 home runs. Had he done that in 2009, the third baseman would’ve become the Mets’ all-time home run leader. Even with the injuries that prematurely ended his career. I talked about Wright’s career and Hall of Fame candidacy on the Pod of Fame podcast. And you know I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to discuss his memorable World Series home run (which I saw in person). Check it out here.
Mike Piazza: 220 Home Runs
Mike Piazza is one of those iconic Mets legends. When you mention the club, he’s likely one of the first players that come to mind. His being in Cooperstown with a Mets cap on — along with hitting a truly memorable home run after 9/11 — will do that. As we all know, he did much more than just hit that one dinger. The dude mashed virtually the entire time he wore the Orange and Blue.
After posting a 1.024 OPS with 23 home runs in 109 games following the trade that brought him to New York in 1998, Piazza continued what he was doing in L.A. He racked up the hits, which included plenty of dingers.
In 1999, he nearly tied the single-season franchise record with 40 homers. He also collected 124 RBI, which was a franchise record. The backstop followed that with three more seasons of 30-plus homers before the dip in production came. Piazza slugged a total of 50 homers over his final three seasons with New York. In his first three full campaigns, though, he averaged 37 homers per year.
Pete Alonso: 210 Home Runs (…And Counting)
How prodigious is Pete Alonso‘s power in the context of Mets history? Well, he cracked the top five on the franchise’s all-time home run leaderboard by his age-28 season. And by the time it happened, there were still about two full seasons left before he’s scheduled to hit free agency.
The Mets have had some great power hitters over the years. But none of them have been like Polar Pete. He’s currently the only Met with multiple seasons of 40-plus homers and 120-plus RBI. He debuted in 2019, yet already has four years of at least 30 homers on his resume through 2023. Alonso owns the MLB rookie home run record, the Mets’ single-season home run record, and is a two-time Home Run Derby champion.
Oh, and he’s a homegrown player. As long as Alonso sticks around in Flushing, he’ll be at the top of this list in short order. The longer New York and team owner Steve Cohen wait, though, the more expensive his price tag is going to get.
Howard Johnson: 192 Home Runs
If you want to make a list of Mets position players who seemingly fly under the radar, I’d make an argument that Howard Johnson should be included. He’s certainly appreciated by the fan base, but not nearly as much as he should. HoJo was the first Mets player to rack up 30 homers and 30 steals in a single season with 36 dingers and 41 thefts in 1989. He also did it again two years later with another 38 dingers and 30 steals.
Both of these campaigns were accompanied by 100-plus RBI and 100-plus runs scored. Johnson led the league in homers (38) and RBI (117) in 1991, as well. In each instance, he went to the All-Star Game, won a Silver Slugger, and placed fifth in NL MVP voting.
From the standpoint of OPS (.928) and OPS+ (169), that ’89 season was the best of Johnson’s career. Consistency was the name of the game during this particular campaign. He enjoyed one month with double-digit homers (11 in June) and one with double-digit steals (12 in July). HoJo hit fewer than five homers just once (four in April). He also stole fewer than six bigs just once (two in May).
Dave Kingman: 154 Home Runs
Dave Kingman spent six years with the Mets over two different stints. During this tenure, he posted 30-plus homers three different times. His 37 homers led the league in 1982, but his most powerful consecutive-year span with New York came from 1975-76. He slugged 36 homers in ’75 and followed that up with another 37 in ’76. Kingman appeared in one All-Star Game and finished in the top 20 of NL MVP voting both times. He did that all without posting an OPS greater than .800.
When looking at the monthly production across these two seasons, July 1975 was his best in just about every category that matters. Kingman slugged 13 homers with 31 RBI, all while slashing .322/.366/.686. In the three months before this performance, the right-handed hitter pummeled 11 balls over the wall. After this performance, he hit 12 combined homers over the final two months of the regular season.
It’s notable that he was a much better hitter away from Shea Stadium during this season. At home, Kingman posted a .675 OPS with 14 home runs. On the road, those numbers improved to .870 and 22, respectively.
Carlos Beltran: 149 Home Runs
Carlos Beltran helped usher in a new era of Mets baseball upon signing a seven-year, $119 million contract with the club ahead of the 2005 season. Former general manager Omar Minaya reeled him in just about a month after signing starting pitcher Pedro Martinez to a four-year deal, too.
Beltran’s 2005 campaign was a tough one based on the high expectations that came with his contract. It included a .744 OPS, 16 home runs, and 78 RBI. But between 2006 and 2008, he was one of the game’s best players. It also solidified him as the best center fielder in franchise history.
Beltran suited up for at least 140 games in each campaign. He slashed .278/.372/.537 across 1,959 plate appearances. That was accompanied by 101 homers, 340 RBI, 336 runs scored, and 66 steals. The switch-hitter posted three straight years of at least 27 homers and 112 RBI. His 41 dingers in 2006 tied a single-season franchise record, as well. This period resulted in Beltran appearing in two All-Star Games while winning three Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards.
He also finished within the top 21 of NL MVP Award voting in each campaign. Beltran’s best finish was in 2006 when he placed fourth.
Mets All Time Home Run Leaders: The Rest
Here’s what the rest of the Mets’ career home run leaders list looks like through the top 29:
- Michael Conforto: 132
- Lucas Duda: 125
- Todd Hundley: 124
- Kevin McReynolds: 122
- Edgardo Alfonzo: 120
- Ed Kranepool: 118
- Jose Reyes: 108
- Carlos Delgado: 104
- George Foster: 99
- Curtis Granderson: 95
- Bobby Bonilla: 95
- John Milner: 94
- Cleon Jones: 93
- Brandon Nimmo: 90 (…and counting)
- Gary Carter: 89
- Francisco Lindor: 82 (…and counting)
- Tommie Agee: 82
- Cliff Floyd: 81
- Keith Hernandez: 80
- Robin Ventura: 77
- Yoenis Cespedes: 76
- Rusty Staub: 75
Interested in seeing who falls behind this group? Check out the details on FanGraphs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Holds The Record for Most Home Runs in Mets History?
As we can see above, Darryl Strawberry is currently the Mets’ franchise home run leader. He slugged 252 home runs during his time in Queens and is one of four Mets players to hit 200-plus home runs while donning the Orange and Blue. The other three are David Wright (242), Mike Piazza (220), and Pete Alonso (200 as of May 3, 2024).
Which Mets Player Has The Most RBI of All Time?
David Wright is currently the Mets’ all-time RBI leader. He drove in 970 runs during his Mets career. He’s comfortably in first place, too — Strawberry is second on this list with 733 RBI. New York’s active all-time RBI leader is Alonso. As of May 3, 2024, he’s driven in 513 runs. Alonso is the single-season RBI record holder after driving in 131 runs for the Mets during the 2022 season.
How Many Players Have Hit 40 or More Home Runs in a Single Season for the Mets?
Four different Mets players have slugged at least 40 home runs in a season. It’s been done a total of six times. Alonso has done it three times (53 in 2019, 46 in 2023, 40 in 2022). Carlos Beltran (2006) and Todd Hundley (1996) each hit 41 homers, while Mike Piazza hit 40 in 1999. You can see a full list of Mets single-season home run leaders here.
What is the Highest Number of Home Runs Hit By a Mets Player in One Year?
Pete Alonso is the Mets’ single-season home run record holder. He slugged 53 homers in 2019, which was his rookie year. He took home National League Rookie of the Year honors at the end of the season and also owns the MLB single-season rookie home run record.
Who Leads the Mets in Career Home Runs Among Those With 300 or More?
Among players who suited up for the Mets, Hall of Famer Willie Mays has the most career homers when looking at those with at least 300 overall. He hit 660 homers, but only 14 of them came with the Mets. Gary Sheffield (509, 10 with the Mets) and Eddie Murray (504, 43 with the Mets) are the next two on the list.
Which Players are Among the Top Five on the Mets All-Time Home Run List?
The Mets’ top five all-time home run leaderboard includes Darryl Strawberry (252), David Wright (242), Mike Piazza (220), Pete Alonso (200 as of 5/3/2024), and Howard Johnson (192).
Want to see the Mets slug dingers in person? Grab some tickets from our friends at Vivid Seats. And before you get to the stadium, make sure you’re decked out in the right gear. You can buy our Gary Cohen-inspired gear from our merch shop, or get official Mets merchandise from the MLB Shop.
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