With the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season postponed until mid-to-late May at the earliest, I thought it’d be an interesting time to take a dive into some of the active Met killers. This list includes some active players that the Mets may be facing in the batter’s box at some point this season, with their career numbers against the Mets. While no regular season schedule is set in stone yet, here are some of the Mets top enemies that will be digging in to the batter’s box based on the regular season schedule that is currently out.

Bonafide Killers: 

• Freddie Freeman: Atlanta Braves
• 686 Plate Apperances
• Career Batting Average: .310
• 27 Home Runs, 107 RBI’s
• On-Base Percentage: .385
• OPS: .909

The modern day Chipper Jones, the Mets will see a heavy dose of Freddy Freeman this season as intra-division rivals. The first scheduled meeting between the Mets and Atlanta Braves, was scheduled for April 13th – 16th at Citi Field, but with that no longer happening, their first meeting is still to be determined. Last year against the Mets, Freeman slashed a .278 batting average with five home runs and 12 RBI’s in 86 plate appearances. However it always seems Freeman comes up to the plate in a big spot and comes through against the Mets. Freeman, is only second to Giancarlo Stanton in active home run leaders against the Mets, and second to Ryan Zimmerman as an active RBI leader against the Mets, trailing by five RBI’s.

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• Giancarlo Stanton: New York Yankees
• 477 Plate Appearances
• Career Batting Average: .262
• 36 Home Runs, 84 RBI’s
• On Base Percentage: .350
• OPS: .907

One player the Mets were happy to see leave the division at the end of 2017 was Giancarlo Stanton, who absolutley owned the Mets when he played for the division rival Miami Marlins. The Mets did not see Stanton last season when they faced the Yankees, as the 30-year old outfielder was limited to only 59 at-bats due to a variety of injuries. The current active leader in home runs against the Mets, the majority of Stanton’s damage has come as a member of the Miami Marlins. Stanton struggled to a .143 batting average against the Mets back in 2018 in his first year as a member of the Yankees. The Mets are scheduled to square off against the Yankees on July 7-8 at Yankee Stadium, and July 28-29 at Citi Field, but those dates are still in question.

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• Anthony Rendon: Los Angeles Angels
• 472 Plate Appearances
• Career Batting Average: .319
• 21 Home Runs, 83 RBI’s
• On Base Percentage: .388
• OPS: .938

If there was one team in the National League happy to see Anthony Rendon move across the country to the American League it was the Mets. The 29-year old third baseman was not very far behind Freddy Freeman as public enemy number one, with the numbers he put up against the Mets. Last season, Rendon hit a scorching .392 batting average with an OPS of 1.173 against the Mets. That was his highest batting average and OPS number against any opponent in the National League East. Follow those numbers up with a .703 slugging percentage and .407 on-base percentage against the Mets, his highest numbers against any other National League East opponent, he can go ahead and thank the Mets for that huge 7-year $245 million contract he recieved from the Los Angeles Angels this offseason. Unfortunatley the Mets have the Angels on the schedule this season, as they are tentatively scheduled to play eachother on August 18 – 20 in Los Angeles. However, I’d rather take three games against Rendon this season, rather than the 19 times we had faced him in the past.

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• Chrstian Yelich: Milwaukee Brewers
• 374 Career Plate Appearances
• Career Batting Average: .288
• 10 Home Runs, 49 RBI’s
• On Base Percentage: .354
• OPS: .784

Although Yelich left the National League East back in 2018, he still has a way of haunting the Mets. The Mets could not find a way to get Yelich out last season, as the 28-year old outfielder had a blistering .467 batting average against the Mets, coupled with a 1.396 OPS in 17 plate appearances. Yelich’s 49 career RBI’s against the Mets are also his most against any single opponent in baseball.  The Mets were scheduled for a four game series in Milwaukee on April 9th – 12th, and a three game series at Citi Field on April 17th – 19th. With those dates completely up in the air, it’s a fair question to wonder if we will see the ghost of Christian Yelich haunt Met fans in 2020.

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• Daniel Murphy: Colorado Rockies
• 202 Career Plate Appearances
• Career Batting Average: .355
• 12 Home Runs, 44 RBI’s
• On Base Percentage: .411
• OPS: 1.061

I think we all saw this one coming. I was hesitant to add Murphy to this list after his lack of success against the Mets last season with the Colorado Rockies, but the career numbers speak for themselves. While Murphy struggled to a .143 batting average in 21 plate appearances against the Mets last season, we all know in past seasons Murphy tends to play his best baseball against his former team. While he was with the Nationals, Murphy absolutely scorched the Mets any chance he had for letting him walk, and the Mets never had an answer for him. While Murphy had a bit of a “down year” compared to his previous seasons, he still produced at Coors Field with a .317 batting average. The Mets were scheduled to rumble with the Rockies at Coors Field August 3rd – 5th, and at Citi Field August 31st – September 3rd, but as previously mentioned those dates are up in the air. I believe the best wording to associate with the 34-year old Murphy when he digs in the batter’s box is approach with caution.

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• J.T. Realmuto: Philadelphia Phillies
• 307 Career Plate Appearances
• Career Batting Average: .299
• 11 Home Runs, 43 RBI’s
• On Base Percentage: .338
• OPS: .824

The 29-year old Philadelphia Phillies catcher, has posted some of his best career numbers against the Mets. Last season, in his first season as a member of the Phillies, he posted a .315 average against the Mets in 81 plate appearances. He also produced 16 RBI’s, which was his most against any opponent in 2019. Realmuto also sports a .325 career batting average at Citi Field, which includes more RBI’s at Citi Field than any other ballpark, outside of his home ballparks. In case you were wondering about that total number, it is 24 RBI’s. While Bryce Harper didn’t prove to be as big of a threat against the Mets last season as a member of the Phillies lineup, Realmuto remains a constant thorn in the Mets side.

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 Sleep With One Eye Open:

 

• Corey Seager: Los Angeles Dodgers
• 85 Career Plate Appearances
• Career Batting Average: .436
• 7 Home Runs, 15 RBI’s
• On Base Percentage: .482
• OPS: 1.277

What else is there to say about the numbers above? Not much and I was tempted to put Seager in as a bonafide Mets killer, but I think considering the players above have hundreds of plate appearances against the Mets, we would hold off for one more season. His .436 career batting average is far and away his highest batting average against any National League opponent. It only gets worse from there. His OPS of 1.158 at Citi Field, is higher than any other National League ballpark. The Mets ought to be thankful they don’t play in the National League West or these numbers could be even more disastrous. Last season in 26 plate appearances, Seager raked with a .417 batting average and a 1.087 OPS against the Mets, his highest numbers against any opponent with a minimum of 20 plate appearances. Let’s hope Seager doesn’t join the National League East anytime soon. The Mets were scheduled to face the Dodgers at Citi Field on May 29th -31st and in Los Angeles August 6th – 9th.

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• Ronald Acuna Jr. : Atlanta Braves
• 123 Career Plate Appearances
• Career Batting Average: .339
• 6 Home Runs, 19 RBI’s
• On Base Percentage: .398
• OPS: .970

Ronald Acuna Jr. blasted on to the Major League Baseball scene in 2018, and not only came away with the Rookie of the Year Award, but left a lasting impression on many around the game. At the same time, he has now also become a thorn in the side of Mets fans, with many comparing both him and Freddie Freeman, to the modern day Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones. Last season is when Acuna began to make his precense felt with a .340 average against the Mets, and five home runs to go along with 14 RBI’s. His batting average against the Mets was his highest against any opponent in the National League East, and we are painfully not looking forward to seeing him in the batter’s box anytime soon.

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The Three Headed Monster: 

• Javy Baez, Kris Bryant, & Anthony Rizzo
• 452 Combined Plate Appearances
• Career Combined Batting Average: .328
• 27 Combined Home Runs, 67 Combined RBI’s
• Career Combined On Base Percentage: .399
• Career Combined OPS: 1.012

It was tough not to include all three players career numbers together in this instance, as all three have had eeirly similar success throughout their careers against Mets. Since 2015, outiside of the Mets sweep of the Cubs in the NLCS, the Mets have posted a record of 10-24 record against the team from the North Side of Chicago. The numbers these three players have posted against the Mets is an integral reason why the Mets have struggled to beat the Cubs during the regular season over the past five seasons. Those overall numbers against the Cubs, and the numbers this trio has produced against the Mets, allows them their own category as a three-headed monster of Mets killers. The Mets were scheduled to make a visit to Wrigley Field on June 16 – 18th, and they were planning on hosting the Cubs at Citi Field on August 28th – 30th.