Sunday School: Forgotten Faces of Flushing #20: The Curious Case of Mike Jacobs: Home Runs, Heritage, and Hindsight

Welcome to the twentieth installment of Mets Sunday School: Forgotten Faces of Flushing, where we rummage through the attic of Mets history like we’re looking for that old Starting Lineup figure of Howard Johnson that lost its head somewhere in a 1990s toy bin. These are the guys who didn’t get bobbleheads or Citi Field banners—but for a moonshot to the Shea scoreboard, a moment of mayhem, or just embodying that lovable Mets mix of chaos and potential, they’re forever part of the Flushing family.

Last week we gave the Sunday School treatment to Jeromy Burnitz, a brawny slugger whose Shea stay was short but explosive—an early-’90s blip who returned later in a more seasoned, less mullet-ed form. His tale was one of promise, power, and the all-too-familiar "why did we trade him again?" hindsight that Mets fans know so well.

This week, we’re rewinding to the mid-2000s—a time when Shea was on borrowed time, Carlos Beltrán was patrolling center, and David Wright and José Reyes were making Mets baseball feel young and electric again. Into that mix stepped a square-jawed, lefty-swinging first baseman who announced his presence with one of the greatest debut games in franchise history.

Let’s talk about Mike Jacobs.

Mike Jacobs wasn’t the kind of player who arrived with the fanfare of a David Wright or a José Reyes. No, his story was a little more...well, interesting. A 38th-round pick in the 1999 MLB Draft (a number so low you'd think the Mets were trying to find him at the bottom of the clearance bin), Jacobs was originally signed as a catcher. And let’s be real—catcher might have been a bit of a stretch, considering the future he was about to carve out.

In 2003, Jacobs finally started hitting his stride with the Double-A Binghamton Mets. He was still learning the ropes, but by 2005, he was slugging his way into prominence with 25 home runs and 93 RBIs—good enough to win MVP honors in the Eastern League. The thing about Jacobs, though, was that he was transitioning to a new position: first base. Think about that for a second. A guy who could’ve been a backup catcher on the Mets’ 2006 roster was now becoming a full-time first baseman with power in his swing.

Jacobs’ debut on August 21, 2005, was nothing short of cinematic. A pinch-hit, three-run home run against Esteban Loaiza. His first-ever Major League at-bat. As far as debuts go, this one was like a dream—one of those things that makes Mets fans think, "Here we go! This is it! The Mets have found their first baseman of the future!" For a moment, you could practically hear the "goosebumps-inducing" background music swell as Jacobs seemed to fit in perfectly. Over the next few games, he mashed four home runs in a single series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This was no fluke; Mike Jacobs was hitting everything that came his way. A .710 slugging percentage. A bat that seemed to have all the power the Mets had been craving.

But, of course, Mets baseball is never that simple. By the end of the season, Jacobs was a trade chip in the deal that brought Carlos Delgado to Flushing. Yes, in what was a win-now move for the Mets, Jacobs was sent to the Florida Marlins. And just like that, he was off to Miami, never really getting the chance to become a permanent fixture in the Mets’ lineup.

With the Marlins, Jacobs found success early, slugging 20 home runs in his first full season in 2006. By 2008, he was blasting 32 home runs with 93 RBIs. For a few seasons, Jacobs looked like the kind of guy you’d love to have on your team, the type who could put the ball in the seats—and do it with a certain swagger. His .247 batting average wasn’t ideal, but his power was undeniable.

But baseball, as always, is fickle. After a trade to the Kansas City Royals, Jacobs spent most of his time as a designated hitter, never quite getting back to the form he showed early in Florida. After bouncing between teams and leagues, Mike Jacobs returned to the Mets organization on February 10, 2010, signing a minor league deal. When Daniel Murphy was sidelined with a strained MCL, Jacobs was selected as the Mets’ Opening Day first baseman. However, his stint was short-lived — he struggled at the plate and was designated for assignment on April 18 after just 7 games. A week later, on April 25, he cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Buffalo, where he continued his power-hitting ways with 15 home runs and a .791 OPS in 86 games. Eventually, his major league career came to an end with a couple more stops in the minors, including stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners. His career was ultimately like a shooting star—bright, fast, and then gone before we could truly appreciate it.

After hanging up his cleats in 2016, Jacobs shifted gears and took on the role of a coach. His first gig was managing the Batavia Muckdogs in the Marlins' system, and from there, he continued to climb the coaching ladder. As of 2025, he’s the hitting coach for the Chattanooga Lookouts, a Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Funny how a guy who once blasted home runs in Flushing is now teaching the next generation of players how to hit them.

Contrary to what your grandmother might’ve told her mahjong group, Mike Jacobs isn’t Jewish. This little fact somehow slipped past the Florida Marlins front office in 2006, when they handed out “Jacobs” T-shirts to the kiddies during their Jewish Heritage Day promotion. Oy. It was a well-meaning mix-up—like putting bacon on a bagel at a Bar Mitzvah. Since then, the fine folks at the Jewish sports podcast Menschwarmers have honored Jacobs in their own way, dubbing any gentile athlete with a synagogue-friendly surname a proud member of the “Mike Jacobs All-Stars.” Mike took it all in stride, like a true mensch… even if he technically wasn’t one.

So what do we make of Mike Jacobs? Was he a player who flashed brilliance, only to have the Mets let him slip away for a bigger fish? Absolutely. Did we get the full "Mike Jacobs Experience" in Flushing? Hardly. But that brief moment when he tore up the National League in 2005, showing power and potential in a way that got Mets fans buzzing, is enough to keep his name etched in the history of the team.

In the end, Jacobs may not have been a Hall of Famer. He may not have been a Met for long. But he gave us some good moments, and isn’t that what makes him, like so many other forgotten faces, part of the Mets’ family forever?