There are certain players that I have not grown fond of the Mets facing over the past several seasons, and I tend to call them Mets killers. These individual players are always having success against the Mets no matter how their individual season is going. What is even more frustrating is for the life of me I can’t figure out ways to get them out sometimes or I know the inevitable is about to happen in a high leverage situation. I listed some notable Mets killers on the season schedule this season that the Mets will be facing. I have provided stats for each player against the Mets and how those statistics translate to other teams in the league. To qualify for the list each player has to have played in at least 20 games against the Mets, and some teams have multiple players included on the list. Pictured is the all-time Met killer Chipper Jones, because nobody would be more appropriate to headline this article, right?

Atlanta Braves:

• Emilio Bonafacio, IF/OF
• .328/.378/.409 in 56 games against Mets
• Has more triples (3) and doubles (29) in his career against Mets, more than any other team in league.
• Has more hits with 61 in career against Mets than any other team.
• His AVG, OBP, SLG% is highest against Mets is highest against any NL East team.
• OPS of .787 is the highest against any NL East team.
• 76 total bases against Mets are most against any MLB team.
• Batting Average on Balls in Play is .436, highest mark against any NL team.
• Scored 32 runs against Mets most against any team.
• 15 RBI most against any MLB team.
• Bonafacio signed a 1-year deal with the Braves this offseason. It is expected Bonafacio is going to be a utility player on a young Braves ball club, and will be playing all over the field especially early in the season. Bonafacio may be a trade chip for Atlanta at the Trade Deadline.

• Freddie Freeman, 1B
• .296/.374/.518. 16 HR’s, 69 RBI in 88 games.
• Freeman has more HR’s and RBI’s against Mets than any other team in baseball.
• Tied with Nationals for most doubles against any team in baseball with 25.
• SLG % is highest against any NL East opponent and 2^nd highest against opponent in NL.
• 170 total bases against Mets are the most against any opponent.
• Freddie Freeman is one of the hitters I can’t seem to figure how to get out. He always seems to be hitting in crucial situations and always seems to deliver. If Freeman stays with the Braves for the rest of his career he may reach Pat Burrell/Chipper Jones status against the Mets.

Washington Nationals:

• Wilson Ramos, C
• .308/.325/.544 10 HR’S 42 RBI in 51 games.
• Ramos AVG, OBP, and SLG %. is highest against any NL East club.
• More HR’s and RBI’s against Mets than any other club in baseball.
• More doubles with 29 against Mets, most against any other club in baseball.
• Ramos has scored more runs against the Mets with 22, than against any other MLB team.
• Has 56 hits against Mets, 1 short of his most against any team in baseball.
• His OPS of .869 against Mets is his highest against any NL East opponent.
• 99 total bases against Mets, most against any opponent.
• Ramos, can be thought of as a bonafide Mets killer. The stats against the Mets speak for themselves, and if Ramos were to have stayed healthy the past few seasons his numbers could be even bigger against the Mets. That is a scary thought.

• Jayson Werth, OF
• .287/.376/.436 14 HR’S, 50 RBI in 141 games.
• More hits against Mets than any other team in baseball with 146 hits.
• Scored more runs against Mets than any other team in baseball with 83.
• Werth had been a thorn in the Mets side since his days with the Phillies back in the day. He doesn’t have the eye-popping stats that many other players may have against the Mets, but he has always been a catalyst and a contact machine against them.

• Reed Johnson, OF
• .336/.376/.484 1 HR, 22 RBI in 55 games.
• His 22 RBI’s against Mets are most against any National League opponent.
• The Washington Nationals this offseason signed Johnson to a Minor League deal. It will be interesting to see if he sticks with the big league after spring training. Johnson has always been a pain in the Mets rear ends as he seems to always have a knack for hitting against them. While he does have higher averages against a couple other ball clubs, his slash line solely against the Mets is overly impressive. It wouldn’t surprise me if Washington carried him on the roster solely to sting the Mets in certain situations.

 Philadelphia Phillies:

• Ryan Howard, 1B
• .248/.322/.506. 44 HR’s 129 RBI in 160 games.
• Howard isn’t as big of a threat as he once was, however I noted him on this list because his numbers against the Mets are still nonetheless impressive. He still is a threat to go deep, and those numbers are equivalent to a full season played against one opponent, with the amount of games Howard has played against the Mets. It will be interesting to see if Howard stays with the Phillies the whole season, and if so he may add a couple of more HR’s and RBI’s to that total.

Miami Marlins:

• Dee Gordon 2B
• .380/.392/.412 1HR 13 RBI’S in 30 games. .
• .380 AVG highest against any NL team.
• Mets are tied with 8 teams Gordon has 1 homer against. Most against any opponent.
• His .863 OPS is highest against any team in NL East besides the Marlins who Gordon plays for.
• Gordon has more total bases with 57 against Mets than any other NL East team.
• His Batting average on balls in play is .433, highest against any other NL team.
• Gordon’s .380 average against the Mets in 30 games is ridiculous. His BAbip is fairly accurate as well, as he tends to slap many hits to the infield and beat the throws to first. Gordon is a catalyst at the top of Miami’s lineup and keeping him off of the base paths is crucial if the Mets want to have success against the Marlins.

• Justin Bour 1B
• 347/.389/.653 4 HR, 13 RBI in 22 games.
• .653 SLG % is second highest against any NL team.
• OPS of 1.042 is third highest against any NL team.
• Bour is quietly gaining the attention of not just the Mets but the rest of the NL East as well. Bour has eerily similar numbers against the other 4 NL East teams and he seems to strive when playing against division opponents. It would behoove the Mets to start pitching Bour more carefully and finding a way to limit his success against them.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

• Chase Utley 2B
• .281/.377/.520 35 HR 103 RBI in 179 games.
• 184 Hits against the Mets is 2^nd most hits allowed among active players by the Mets. That number is also highest number of hits for Utley against any team.
• OBP & SLG % highest against any NL East team.
• 43 doubles against Mets most against any team.
• More HR against Mets than any other team.
• 18 SB against Mets tied for most against any team.
• 340 total bases against Mets most against any team.
• Utley is one of the all time Mets nemeses and his statistics against the Mets prove it. Utley also has more HBP against the Mets, than any other MLB team. It is a classic rivalry these two have against each other, and you can expect that HBP number to possibly increase this season, as well as some of his other batting stats against the Mets as well.

• Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
• .316/.381/.580 13 HR’s, 36 RBI in 51 games
• Gonzalez plain and simple just has great stats against the Mets in his career. His numbers against the Mets aren’t as high as some of his other stats against certain opponents, but Gonzalez is one of the best hitters in baseball. It goes to prove that the Mets have difficulty with the superstar hitter and need to pitch as carefully as possible to Gonzalez in high leverage situations.

San Fransisco Giants:

• Buster Posey, C/1B
• .342/.408/.575 6 HR’s 19 RBI in 29 games.
• SLG % of .575, is highest against any NL team.
• OPS of 1.012, is Posey’s highest OPS against any team in NL besides Rockies.
• 67 total bases against Mets are the most against any non NL West team.
• 6 HR’s against Mets tied for most with Brewers against any non NL West opponent.
• 11 doubles against Mets most against any non NL West opponent.
• Buster Posey is one of the best pure hitters in baseball, and those numbers translate against the Mets. Thankfully the Mets don’t see Posey for more than 2 series a season, but Posey makes every at-bat count against the Mets, as he absolutely owns them.

• Denard Span, OF
• .311/.358/.503 5 HR’s 20 RBI in 41 games.
• .503 SLG%, against Mets is higher than any other NL team faced.
• Has OPS of .861 higher than any other NL team faced.
• His 5 HR’s against Mets are most against any team in baseball.
• Span signed a 3-year deal with the Giants this offseason, and will not see as much of the Mets as he has as a member of the Nationals the past couple of seasons. While this is good news for the Mets, they have to pitch him carefully as his power translates the most when he is facing a Mets jersey, which is an incredible stat considering Span is not a big power threat.

San Diego Padres:

• Matt Kemp OF
• .332/.386/.512 8 HR’S 36 RBI in 60 games.
• Kemp’s batting average against Mets is highest against any NL opponent.
• Kemp’s 72 hits against Mets, is the most against any opponent outside of NL West.
• His total bases of 111 against Mets are the most against any opponent outside of NL West.
• Kemp has played in the NL West his whole career, but when it comes to playing the Mets, Kemp absolutely dominates. The statistics show Kemp has more success against the Mets than pretty much any other team that is not in the NL West.

• Jon Jay OF
• .315/.392/.461 1 HR, 10 RBI in 26 games.
• AVG, OBP, AND SLG% against Mets are the highest against any NL East opponent.
• Has 2 triples against Mets, tied for 2nd with Reds for most against any team.
• His OPS of .853 is second highest against any NL team.
• His 41 total bases against Mets are the most against any NL East opponent.
• Jon Jay was acquired by the Padres this offseason from the St. Louis Cardinals. All of his success against the Mets has come from playing in St. Louis, but now the Padres have two legitimate threats that crush the Mets in the lineup, when they do meet this season.

Colorado Rockies:

• Gerrado Parra, OF
• .306/.351/.408, 2 HR’S 15 RBI in 45 games.
• His BA of .306 highest against any NL East opponent.
• Parra has 48 hits against Mets, most against any NL East opponent.
• Scored more runs with 20 against the Mets than any other NL East opponent.
• 64 total bases against Mets, most against any NL East opponent.
• If you can’t beat him, sign him right? The Mets have expressed interest in acquiring Parra since last year’s trading deadline before trading and re-signing Yoenis Cespedes. Parra was eventually traded to the Orioles and signed a 3-year deal this offseason with the Rockies. Most of Parra’s success has come as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, however Parra will be hitting in the most hitter friendly ballpark in Colorado, which is sure to inflate his career numbers against the Mets.

Cincinnati Reds:

• Brandon Phillips, 2B
• .309/.350/.513 11 HR’s 48 RBI in 65 games.
• Phillips .BA, OBP, & SLG%, is his highest against any National League opponent.
• Has more RBI’S against Mets than any other team outside of NL Central.
• His OPS of .863 is highest against any NL opponent.
• More doubles against the Mets with 19, than any non NL Central opponent.
• Thank goodness the deal to send Brandon Phillips to Washington fell through, because Phillips is as big of a threat against the Mets as much as some of the top names on this list. It is no secret that Phillips loves facing the Mets and his numbers prove that he is a legitimate Met killer with no remorse. 

• Joey Votto, 1B
• 312/.415/.584 13 HR’s, 47 RBI in 48 games.
• Votto’s 13 HR’s are most against any opponent outside NL Central.
• Votto is one of the best power hitters in baseball, and his power translates seamlessly against the Mets. Votto also has as many RBI’s as games played against the Mets, which is an eye-opening stat. The Reds may be in a rebuilding phase, but they still have 2 proven Mets killers in their lineup.

Pittsburgh Pirates:

• Andrew McCutchen, OF
• .324/.445/.493, 4 HR’S 20 RBI in 43 games.
• OBP of .493 against Mets, is higher than any NL opponent faced.
• McCutchen is one of the most decorated hitters in the game of baseball today, and he has great numbers in the limited number of times he has faced the Mets. McCutchen’s high OBP against the Mets shows his mature approach at the plate, and how he seems to always be on the bases against New York.

Chicago Cubs:

• Anthony Rizzo, 1B
• .300/.406/.556 5 HR’s 11 RBI in 25 games.
• .406 OBP against Mets, is Rizzo’s highest number against any NL team.
• 8 doubles against the Mets are most against any non-NL Central team.
• Rizzo is and has been the Cubs best hitter over the past several seasons. With the arrival of Kris Bryant that may become a topic of debate, however the Mets seemed to constantly get burned by Rizzo when they face the Cubs. The Mets and Cubs will be engaged in many classic games for years to come with the amount of talent each team possesses, and the key for the Mets is to limit Rizzo’s proven damage against them.

• Shane Victorino, OF
• .281/.341/.457, 11 HR 46 RBI, in 111 games.
• AVG, OBP, and SLG % highest against any NL East team.
• OPS of .798 highest against any NL East team.
• 10 HR’s against Mets tied for 1st for most against any opponent.
• 46 RBI’s 2^nd most against any opponent.
• 115 hits against Mets 2^nd most against any opponent. One shy of being tied for 1^st.
• 9 triples against Mets are 2^nd most against any opponent.
• 187 total bases against Mets are most against any MLB team.
• Victorino recently signed a Minor League deal with the Cubs to make the team as an extra outfielder. The Cubs have a crowded outfield as it is, but he could make the team for his veteran leadership alone. I added Victorino because, while he doesn’t have glaring eye popping numbers against the Mets, most of his highest career totals come against the Mets. Victorino also has been a Mets nemesis for all of the years he was with the Phillies, and he will only add to the Mets and Cubs newfound rivalry, if he is indeed playing.

New York Yankees:

• Alex Rodriguez, 3B/DH
• .309/.398/.520, 13 HR’s 39 RBI in 61 games.
• Rodriguez has more HR’s and RBI’s against Mets than any other NL opponent.
• His 69 hits against Mets are most against any NL opponent
• Rodriguez has more total bases against Mets than any other NL opponent.
• AROD, is one of the most scrutinized players in baseball and for good reason. However when it comes to playing anybody in the National League, Rodriguez loves playing under the bright lights of the Subway Series. Rodriguez’s success against the Mets is no secret and regardless of his age, the Mets have to pitch Rodriguez carefully when facing him this season.

• Mark Teixeira, 1B/DH
• .301/.378/.571 14 HR’S, 48 RBI in 52 games.
• Has more hits against the Mets with 59, than against any other NL opponent.
• Has scored 39 runs in his career against Mets, more than any other NL opponent he has faced.
• His 14 HR’S and 48 RBI’s are most against any NL opponent.
• Has 22 walks against Mets, more than any NL opponent faced.
• Teixeira is another player for the Yankees getting up there in age, but it doesn’t seem to slow him down when playing the Mets. Teixeira had a brief stint with Atlanta, so he acquired a few games played while in the NL East. But make no mistake; During the Subway Series this season, Tex is a legitimate threat to do damage still against the Mets, if his numbers provide any indication of how much success he has had against this ball club.

Chicago White Sox:

• Jimmy Rollins, SS
• .280/.344/.449 33 HR’s, 122 RBI in 247 games
• 281 hits most among active players against Mets.
• More HR’S & RBI against Mets than any other team in baseball.
• Scored 152 runs against Mets, 2^nd most against any MLB team.
• 63 SB’s are most against any MLB opponent.
• Drew 98 walks most against any MLB opponent.
• 451 total bases against Mets most against any opponent.
• Rollins signed a Minor League deal with the White Sox a few weeks ago, and is expected to be the everyday shortstop to open the season. Rollins is known as the current biggest Mets killer and the numbers prove why. Rollins even found ways to sting the Mets last postseason in a limited number of appearances for the Dodgers. There is no love lost between both Rollins and the Mets, and we could be in for one more round in late May when the White Sox visit Citi Field.

• Adam LaRoche, 1B/DH
• .254/.349/.496. 29 HR’S, 87 RBI IN 139 games.
• Has more HR’s and RBI’s against Mets than any other in team in baseball
• 238 total bases against Mets most against any opponent.
• 122 hits against Mets 2^nd highest against any MLB team.
• 79 runs scored against Mets most against any MLB team
• The White Sox arguably have two of the biggest Mets killers on the same roster this season. Mets fans, myself included, will not forget the amount of damage LaRoche has committed against the Mets. LaRoche always seemed to be up in crucial situations and stuck it to the Mets. LaRoche and the Mets will get another go-around this season and hopefully the Mets can correct their previous mistakes.

Detroit Tigers:

• Miguel Cabrera, 1B/DH
• .292/.380/.479 12 HR’s 69 RBI in 89 games
• Miguel Cabrera could be argued as the best player in baseball, if not the best he is in the top-3. Cabrera has high numbers against almost every big league team in his career. The Mets will be visiting Detroit in August, and Cabrera is no stranger to having success against the Mets either. All I have to say about this matchup is approach with caution.

Kansas City Royals:

• Omar Infante, 2B
• .349/.387/.451 4HR’s 29 RBI in 72 games.
• Batting average is 2^nd highest against any MLB team.
• Highest OBP and SLG% against any NL East team.
• More RBI’s against Mets, than any NL team with 29.
• His 96 hits against Mets 2^nd most against any team in MLB.
• 42 runs scored against Mets are his most against any NL team. .
• 838 OPS is highest against any NL East team and 3rd highest against any team in MLB.
• 124 total bases against Mets most against any NL team.
• Batting average on balls in play is .390, 2^nd highest against any team in MLB.
• Infante is a legitimate Mets killer with most of his damage coming when he was a member of both the Marlins and Braves. The Mets will see Infante in two separate series this season against the Royals, with the first starting Opening Night. Infante is currently in recovery from offseason elbow surgery and has been told he is not a lock to be the Opening Day starting second baseman, as Christian Colon is the favorite for the job right now. One can only hope the Mets do not have to see Infante in a lineup at all this season.