Sean Smith, proprietor of the well-known “CHONE” projections, recently put together a historical WAR (“wins above replacement”) database at Baseball Projection which provides the WAR of every player from 1955-2008. Since the Mets have been in existence since 1962, we are able to determine just how valuable every Met position player’s performance has been, according to this statistic. The stat determines a player’s value based on offense, defense, baserunning, position, and playing time. It is not infallible, but it is probably the best all-encompassing historical stat publicly available right now. With more than a little help from Microsoft Excel, I compiled the WAR of every Mets starting position player ever based on Smith’s stats. The players I considered were those who had the most plate appearances at each position during a given season. This is problematic at times, as, for example, Richie Ashburn had more overall plate appearances than Joe Christopher on the 1962 Mets, but Christopher played more innings than anyone in rightfield so only he is considered. A similar issue arises with Mookie Wilson and the 1986 Mets. Nonetheless, here are the top ten best individual seasons by Mets position players, according to Smith’s version of WAR:

Place     Pos     Year     Player              WAR
1.         3B     2007     David Wright        8.0
(tied)     LF     1996     Bernard Gilkey      8.0
3.         1B     1998     John Olerud         7.9
4.         3B     1989     Howard Johnson      7.7
5.         CF     2006     Carlos Beltran      7.6
6.         LF     1969     Cleon Jones         7.5
7.         CF     1996     Lance Johnson       7.3
8.         3B     1999     Robin Ventura       7.0
9.         CF     2008     Carlos Beltran      7.0
10.         C     1985     Gary Carter         6.7
(tied)     3B     1997     Edgardo Alfonzo     6.7

The only player to make multiple appearances on the all-time top ten list is our own Carlos Beltran. There’s no reason to think Beltran can’t make 2009 the third appearance on this list, especially considering his recovery from last year’s knee surgery and strong performance in the World Baseball Classic. If the Mets made the playoffs in 2007, Wright would’ve been a shoo-in for the MVP Award, posting a better WAR than any National League player except Albert Pujols. Gilkey’s 1996 had already taken on mythical proportions in my eyes, and this stat only confirms my perception. Lance Johnson set the single season team record for hits and triples in 1996, and his overall performance that year appears to be one of the best ever. Notice something here? There’s so sign of Mike Piazza. No sign of Darryl Strawberry. Both are hurt by their weak performance in the field. This is not to say that either player’s time with the Mets should be downplayed, but it is an illustration of the importance of defense. To complement the top ten best seasons, I present the top-ten worst seasons according to WAR:

Place     Pos     Year     Player              WAR
367.       SS     1998     Rey Ordonez        -1.4
368.       2B     1978     Doug Flynn         -1.7
(tied)     3B     1971     Bob Aspromonte     -1.7
(tied)     3B     2003     Ty Wigginton       -1.7
371.       3B     1982     Hubie Brooks       -1.8
372.       SS     1964     Roy McMillan       -1.9
(tied)     SS     1981     Frank Taveras      -1.9
374.       2B     1979     Doug Flynn         -2.0
375.       1B     1979     Willie Montanez    -2.1
376.       CF     1999     Brian McRae        -2.7

Younger fans, including myself, probably never saw some of these guys play. However, I’m definitely surprised to see Ty Wigginton on this list, given his strong reputation. I’m also somewhat surprised about Brian McRae. Did he really post the least valuable individual season in Mets history? According to Smith’s statistics, yes. Rey Ordonez was a great fielder most seasons, and his awful performance at the plate could be forgiven because of defensive runs saved at a premium position. However, 1998 was not one of those seasons. If the Mets fielded a replacement level shortstop in 1998 they may have made the playoffs. God Bless Doug Flynn, the only Met to make multiple appearances on this bottom-10 list. Performances like his and Willie Montanez’s demonstrate just how bad those late 1970’s Mets teams were. Again, this stat is not infallible, but it is probably the best we have available right now.