For nigh on about 30 years I have almost annually selected a Met who showed grit and usually the ability to hit, yet got no love from the manager. Past winners have included the likes of Todd Pratt, Mackey Sasser, Nick Evans (the only two-time winner), Heath Bell, and even—after an exile to the minors and a seat on the bench in Flushing in 2016—Michael Conforto.
Dom Smith would have been a candidate, but he plays the same position as the best rookie hitter in Mets history. Even when Smith did play first base, I yelled at the no-longer Mets manager, “Why isn’t Pete Alonso playing? He’s only 24! He doesn’t need a rest!!” And when Dom played left field, I’d bark at the TV, “Why isn’t J.D. Davis playing left?” Dom got his 200 plate appearances, including a .286 pinch-hit average and the season-concluding walkoff homer after not missing two months because of injury. So he’s got too much going for him to be FNP Met.
Adainy Hechavarria had a shot, before he became a one-man Mets wrecking crew, seeking vengeance for the Mets cutting him on the eve of a $1 million roster bonus. You know, I’d be pissed, too. But he’s a Brave now, so he’s not even eligible to be the FNP. Chop this!
Joe Panik nearly snagged it. The Mets picked up the Hopewell Junction local off waivers to be the regular second baseman after Robinson Cano was injured. But Cano came back sooner—and better—than expected, so Joe rode the pine. In about two months as a Met he batted 103 times and hit .277. I live somewhat close to him in the Hudson Valley and his daily commute is noteworthy, but he didn’t take an Uber from two states away to get to Citi Field.
Rajai Davis was getting ready for batting practice in Lehigh Valley, PA, for the Mets’ AAA team in May when he found out he was going back to the majors. The dude is 38 and playing in the minors despite having clubbed a game-tying home run in the eighth inning of Game Seven of the 2016 World Series for Cleveland. Rajai was not waiting a second longer to start back to the bigs. He pulled out his phone and dispatched an Uber driver to take him to Citi Field. A couple of hours and $243 later, the gregarious outfielder had a friend for life in Jason his driver and Darryl Strawberry’s old number. Number 18 got to Flushing mid-game, pinch-hit in the eighth, and smacked a three-run blast in a 6-1 win over the eventual world champions.
The former 38th-round pick out of UConn-Avery Point—I lived in Connecticut for several years and I’m not even familiar with that branch—was sent back to Syracuse while Aaron Altherr stayed in Flushing. Despite a homer in his first at bat as a Met, Altherr possessed neither the stick nor the flash to match Rajai. Altherr and his .129 batting average appeared in 26 games in New York while Davis, though injured for part of that time, languished in the minors. Finally sense was restored to the universe and Altherr, who had gone 2-for-August, was jettisoned and Davis was recalled.
Rajai’s next big moment came in—you guessed it—the eighth inning against the Dodgers on September 14. Rajai broke up a scoreless duel with a three-run, pinch-hit double. He only batted 25 times as a Met, not even enough to qualify for a grade on my report card! But Uber and the big moments puts him at the top of the class and cemented the FNP for him. He’s never won a World Series ring, but he has the plate display in his front parlor, complete with Gil Hodges’s image. Hold it high, Rajai, you earned it.