Time Traveler Tuesdays: 2010s Mets 1st Basemen, Always Swinging for the Fences

The 2010s were yet another decade of transition for the New York Mets, and few positions reflected that churn more clearly than first base. From early promise and unmet expectations to a thunderous finish that redefined the franchise’s power identity, the Mets’ first basemen told a story of trial, error, and, ultimately, transformation.

The decade opened with Ike Davis, a former first-round pick and the heir apparent to the position. Davis burst onto the scene in 2010, showing the combination of patience and power the Mets had long sought. His breakout 2012 season — 32 home runs and 90 RBIs — appeared to cement him as a cornerstone. But injuries, including ankle issues and a bout with Valley fever, disrupted his momentum. As his production declined, so did the team’s confidence, and by 2014, Davis was traded, another reminder of how quickly promise can fade in Queens.

Taking over was Lucas Duda, a quiet, analytical slugger who would become one of the defining Mets first basemen of the era. Duda’s early years were uneven, but by the middle of the 2010s, he emerged as a legitimate power threat. His 2014 season — 30 home runs and an .830 OPS — marked a turning point, and in 2015, he played a central role on the Mets’ National League championship team.

While Duda will always be remembered for his October power, his legacy is complicated by defensive struggles, most notably a costly throw in the 2015 World Series. Still, for several seasons, Duda was the Mets’ most reliable source of left-handed power.

As the Mets searched for consistency late in the decade, first base again became a revolving door. Veterans like James Loney and Adrián González made brief appearances, while utility players such as Wilmer Flores filled in when needed. None provided a long-term answer, and the position seemed emblematic of a franchise stuck between rebuilding and contending.

That changed dramatically in 2019.

Pete Alonso, a second-round pick with prodigious raw power, arrived with little fanfare and promptly rewrote the record books. Alonso’s rookie season was one of the most impactful in Mets history: 53 home runs, a National League Rookie of the Year award, and an immediate shift in how the franchise was perceived. For the first time in years, first base was not a question mark but a headline attraction. Alonso’s power, durability, and personality energized the fan base and provided a clear building block for the future.

Looking back, the Mets’ first basemen of the 2010s trace the arc of the franchise itself: hopeful beginnings, frustrating inconsistency, and a resounding finish. From Ike Davis’s early promise to Lucas Duda’s middle-of-the-decade power and Pete Alonso’s historic arrival, the position evolved from uncertainty to identity. By the decade’s end, the Mets finally had what they had spent years searching for — a first baseman who didn’t just fill a spot in the lineup, but defined it.

AI contributed to this report