The Mets' All-Star Game All-Stars

For the first time since 2009, the Mets are sending four players to the All-Star Game. Although neither Yoenis Cespedes nor Noah Syndergaard will be available to play, Jeurys Familia and Bartolo Colon will both be options out of the pen for National League manager Terry Collins.

In celebration of this week’s All-Star festivities, we look back at some of the best All-Star Game performances by Mets players.

Cleon Jones, 1969

Jones made the most of his only All-Star appearance, starting in left field and going 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the NL’s 9-3 victory at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Jones became the first of just six Mets players to collect multiple hits in an All-Star Game.

Bud Harrelson, 1970

A year after Jones collected two hits in an All-Star Game, teammate Bud Harrelson did the same in 1970. Coming off the bench, Harrelson went 2-for-3 and scored two runs in the NL’s 5-4 victory at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Tom Seaver, 1970

In 1970, Seaver made his fourth All-Star team in his fourth big league season. It was, however, the first time he started a Midsummer Classic. The Franchise sparkled in his three scoreless innings of work, striking out four batters—including Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio, Frank Robinson, and Harmon Killebrew—while surrendering no walks and just one hit.

Tug McGraw, 1972

Tug entered the 1972 All-Star Game at Atlanta Stadium in the top of the ninth inning with his team down, 3-2. Working around a double by Joe Rudi, McGraw struck out the side in a scoreless inning of work. The NL tied the game on a Lee May RBI ground out in the bottom of the ninth, and McGraw went back to the mound as the game went to extra innings. After pitching a scoreless 10th, the NL won the game for McGraw in the bottom of the inning on a Joe Morgan RBI single. McGraw not only got the win, but struck out four batters—including Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Carlton Fisk—in the process.

Jon Matlack, 1975

In 1975, Matlack joined McGraw as the only two Mets pitchers to earn a victory in an All-Star Game. Matlack pitched the seventh and eighth innings of a tied ballgame at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, holding the AL to two hits in two scoreless innings of work. Matlack struck out four batters—including Hall of Famer Rod Carew—and walked none in his strong outing, after which the NL took the lead in the top of the ninth. The NL won the game, 6-3, and Matlack was named co-MVP, becoming the first and only Met to win the award.

Lee Mazzilli, 1979

Mazzilli had a huge impact on the one All-Star Game in which he played. Pinch hitting for Gary Matthews to lead off the top of the eighth, Maz homered off Jim Kern to tie the game at six. In the top of the ninth, Mazzilli came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded, and drew a walk to give the NL a 7-6 lead. The NL would hold the lead and win the game at Seattle’s Kingdome, as Bruce Sutter closed things out in the bottom of the inning.

Dwight Gooden, 1984

In 1984, at 19 years of age, Gooden became the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game. Doc pitched two scoreless innings of relief at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, striking out the side in the fifth and surrendering just one hit in the NL’s 3-1 victory.

Lance Johnson, 1996

The 1996 season was a special one for Lance Johnson. That year, the center fielder had by far his best major league season, hitting .333/.362/.479 (122 wRC+) with 6.4 fWAR, and leading the majors with 227 hits and 21 triples. He also made his first and only All-Star team, leading off and starting in center field at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium. Johnson put on an impressive performance in the NL’s 6-0 win, going 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, and a run scored.

Carlos Beltran, 2006

Beltran played in four All-Star Games as a Met and got at least one hit in each of them. His best performance came in the 2006 Midsummer Classic at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where Beltran started in center field. Not only did Beltran go 2-for-4 with a double, but also almost singlehandedly manufactured a run in the third inning: after singling off Roy Halladay, Beltran advanced to second on a throw home, stole third when the next batter came to the plate, and scored on a wild pitch. Beltran’s efforts, however, were not enough to beat the AL team, which won the game, 3-2.

David Wright, 2006

Like Beltran, Wright has an excellent track record in the All-Star Game: the third baseman has seven hits in 18 at-bats, and at least one hit in six of the seven All-Star Games in which he played. Also like Beltran, Wright’s best game was in 2006, when he went 1-for-3 with a home run in his very first All-Star at-bat.

Jose Reyes, 2007

While Reyes made four All-Star teams as a Met, he only actually played in one Midsummer Classic. Reyes made the most of that one appearance, however, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the 2007 All-Star Game. Reyes led off and played shortstop for the NL team, which went on to lose the game, 5-4, at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Matt Harvey, 2013

Hometown hero Matt Harvey got the start in the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field. After giving up a leadoff double to Mike Trout and then hitting Robinson Cano with a pitch, Harvey settled down to retire the next six batters he faced. Harvey left the game after two scoreless innings in which he struck out three batters, while surrendering no walks and one hit. The AL would go on to win the game, 3-1.

Jacob deGrom, 2015

Last year’s All-Star game was a coming-out party of sorts for Jacob deGrom. After sharing the spotlight with fellow flamethrowers Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, and Zack Wheeler, deGrom got his moment to shine last year at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. And shine he did: the right-hander entered the game in the sixth inning and needed just 10 pitches to strike out the side, drawing serious national attention with his dominant performance in a game the AL won, 6-3.