Time Traveler Tuesdays: Mets' Shortstops of the 90s: Defensive Excellence, Not So Much on the Hitting
- Manny Fantis
- Mar 24
- 4 min read
Updated: 11 hours ago
The most popular 90s Mets shortstops all had something in common: they could field the ball as well as or better than anyone else in the National League. Kevin Elster, Jose Vizcaino, and Rey Ordonez were solid fielders. Ordonez stood out as a spectacular fielder. He'll always be remembered for his range, his arm, and his flair.
We begin the 90s with Kevin Elster, who had already set a major league record at short in the late 80s for the most consecutive games without an error at the position (88). That record still stands in the National League. Cal Ripken broke the Major League record in 1990, with 90 straight errorless games at short.
Elster continued his great fielding at shortstop, but his hitting was plummeting to almost an 'automatic out' status. In 1990, Elster batted .207, with only 65 total hits in 92 games. Even his tremendous fielding couldn't hide his awful -0.2 WAR for the season.
1991 was a bit of an uptick for his average, where he bumped it up to .241, but he was mostly down in every other offensive category, including home runs (6) and RBIs (36).
Nagging shoulder issues finally caught up with Elster, and in May of 1992, he finally had surgery. That would end his playing days for the Mets. That's when the Mets had to scramble and trade with the Angels for a player who could be the answer to a question at your next baseball trivia night. Who led the NL in fielding percentage in 1992 at shortstop? The answer: Dick Schofield.
Schofield's glove did not disappoint, with a .988 fielding percentage in 118 games at shortstop in 1992. His hitting wasn't good, but it mirrored Elster's, so the Mets had become accustomed to a low-average, low-output hitter at shortstop. He batted .205, with only 4 HRs and 36 RBI. He only played one season with the Mets.
Tim Bogar, Kevin Baez, and Jeff McKnight split 1993 at shortstop for the Mets.
Jose Vizcaino came to the Mets in the strike-shortened 1994. Once again, the Mets opted for a reliable fielder over a big bat at the position. In '94 and '95 combined, he batted .273, with 6 HRs and 89 RBIs for the two seasons. He actually led the National League in fielding percentage at shortstop in 1995, at .984.
Vizcaino was traded to Cleveland, along with 2B Jeff Kent, in exchange for superstar 2B Carlos Baerga. Jeff Kent went on to be one of the best power hitters in the Majors for the next few seasons, but Baerga only hit 18 HRs in two-and-a-half total seasons with the Mets. But this story isn't about second basemen, so we'll move along.
We all remember our final shortstop of the 1990s as a phenom who made "the relay" to home in his rookie season, cementing his place at the 6 position for the next seven seasons on the team. Rey Ordonez.
In early April of 1996, against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ray Lankford hit a double down the line into left field. The low relay throw came to Ordonez, who needed to field the ball from his knees. Ordonez twisted from the outfield grass and threw a one-hop strike to Todd Hundley at the plate to gun out Royce Clayton. That was the first big play for the youngster, who finished 5th in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1996.
Each of the next three seasons, '97-'99, Orodnez won the Gold Glove at Shortstop in the National League. He made sparkling play after sparkling play at short. He had great range, an insane glove, and a cannon for an arm.
In '97 and in '99, he led the National League in fielding percentage at shortstop, adding to the list of Mets shortstops in the 90s who led the league in that statistical category.
Some of the quotes from Mets' announcers about Ordonez:
"He's a highlight film."
"He'll lead the league in standing ovations."
"No one else would start a double-play from that position."
At times, they couldn't believe their eyes when they watched arguably the best fielder in team history dazzle the diamond.
Ordonez was known for his fielding, but he could contribute at the plate, too.
In seven seasons with the Mets, he batted .245, with 720 hits. He hit more than 20 doubles four times in his seven years with the team. Not spectacular, but not as anemic as some of the other shortstops for the team in the 90s.
He did have a miserable postseason in 1999 at the plate, batting only .077 with 2 hits in 26 total at-bats.
The '90s will be remembered as his decade at shortstop for the Mets. It's hard to compare him to anyone else who played before him at the position for the Mets. Three Gold Gloves in his first four seasons is quite the first impression for any player. You can still hear the screams of joy from the fans, marveling at his effort and skill.
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