The start of the new millennium put the New York Mets in a good spot as they reached the 2000 World Series, but it would take another 15 years before they would make it to baseball's grandest stage despite a close call in 2006.

With Steve Cohen's the backing since the 2022 season, the Mets are hoping they can bookend the first quarter century with another successful run.

Over the last 25 seasons, they have won three NL East titles and made six playoff appearances. The Mets will be looking to take it one step forward with a promising foundation.

With a roller-coaster ride of 25 years, here are the top players over that period in The Record and NorthJersey.com's New York Mets All-Quarter Century Team:

STARTERS

Catcher: Mike Piazza

The peak of Piazza's greatness with the Mets came at the turn of the century. In the first three years of the new millennium, the Hall of Famer delivered at least 33 home runs and 96 RBI while batting no worse than .280. He helped lead the Mets to the 2000 World Series and delivered one of the most historic home runs in franchise history after the September 11 attacks.

Honorable mention: Travis d'Arnaud

First base: Pete Alonso

Since breaking into the major leagues in 2019, Alonso has placed down his stamp as one of the franchise's best power hitters, and one of the most explosive bats in the game this decade. He set the major league rookie home run record with 53 in 2019 and has added on a pair of 40-home run and 100-RBI seasons. A five-time All-Star, Alonso stands alone as the Mets' all-time home run leader when he hit his 253rd career homer on Aug. 12.

Honorable mention: Carlos Delgado

Second base: Edgardo Alfonzo

While the turn of the century represented the back half of Alfonzo's Mets tenure, his spark in the team's run to the 2000 World Series cannot be overlooked. He was one of the lone holdovers from the "best infield ever" and produced a .967 OPS with 25 home runs, 94 RBI and 109 runs in his lone All-Star season. Alfonzo also batted .308 in 2002.

Honorable mention: Jeff McNeil

Third base: David Wright

Wright left an indelible mark on the franchise from his rookie season in 2004 to his painstaking end in 2018. The captain was a seven-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glover and two-time Silver Slugger while setting the franchise's records for hits (1,777), runs (949), RBI (970). His presence went beyond the stat sheet, with his presence as the club's unquestioned leader and mouthpiece for a decade and a half. He entered the pantheon of Mets legends this summer.

Honorable mention: Todd Zeile

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor

Since stumbling out of the gate in his first season after being traded from Cleveland, Lindor has matured into the heartbeat of the new era of Mets baseball under Cohen's leadership. He followed up that rough debut with a 107 RBI season in 2022, helping snap a six-year playoff drought. Lindor added a 30-30-30 season in 2023 and an MVP runner-up finish in 2024 when he helped carry the Mets to the NLCS with some of the biggest home runs in club history.

Honorable mention: Jose Reyes

Outfield: Carlos Beltran

In the process of building a career that is bordering on the precipice of the Hall of Fame, the five-tool star had his best seasons with the Mets, beginning in 2005. Beltran's best came in 2006 when he slashed .275/.388/.594 with 41 home runs, 116 RBI and 127 runs while securing an All-Star selection, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove. Five of Beltran's nine All-Star nods came with the Mets. In his seven seasons in Flushing, Beltran had 149 home runs, 559 RBI, 551 runs and 100 stolen bases.

Honorable mention: Michael Conforto

Outfield: Brandon Nimmo

As the longest-tenured Mets player with the current team, Nimmo gets a slight edge over Cliff Floyd for his staying power within the organization and rise as one of the leaders in the clubhouse. The first-ever first-round pick out of Wyoming, Nimmo's biggest contributions have come in the last four seasons. In 2022 and 2023, he eclipsed the .800 OPS mark while last season he set a career high with 90 RBI. He's on pace to set new career marks in home runs and RBI this season.

Honorable mention: Cliff Floyd

Outfield: Yoenis Cespedes

Before ankle injuries ravaged the end of his career, Cespedes provided one of the singular biggest lifts in franchise history when he was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers in 2025. In 57 games after the deal, Cespedes slashed .287/.337/.604 with 17 home runs, 44 RBI and 39 runs to help the Mets claim their first division title since 2006. He had five hits, including two home runs, in the Mets' NLDS win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He added 31 home runs and 86 RBI in the next season to secure an All-Star selection and Silver Slugger.

Honorable mention: Curtis Granderson

STARTING ROTATION

Jacob deGrom

The dominance of deGrom with the Mets rivals that of Tom Seaver for most impactful in the franchise history. In his nine seasons with the Mets, deGrom won NL Rookie of the Year, a pair of NL Cy Young awards, and was a four-time All-Star. He struck out more than 200 batters four times and logged three seasons with at least 200 innings before injuries set in.

Johan Santana

The left-hander continues to boast the lone no-hitter in franchise history, with the feat being achieved on June 1, 2012 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Santana's best season in New York was his first in 2008 when he finished 16-7 with a league-best 2.53 ERA and 234⅓ innings while striking out 206 to finish third in Cy Young voting. He was an All-Star in 2009. Over his first three seasons with the Mets, Santana was 40-25 with a 2.85 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.

R.A. Dickey

After a turbulent start to his professional career, Dickey found the knuckleball and dialed it in at its peak during his three seasons with the Mets. The right-hander earned his stay in New York by going 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA in his first season. He followed it up with 208⅔ innings and a 3.28 ERA in 2011. But he saved his best for last, becoming the first knuckleballer to win the Cy Young Award in 2012, going 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA and 230 strikeouts in 233⅔ innings at age 37. That season, he tossed back-to-back one-hitters on his way to becoming the sixth pitcher in Mets history to secure 20 wins.

Al Leiter

The left-handed New Jersey native was the model of consistency during his time in Queens after being acquired from the Florida Marlins in 1998. In the five seasons after the turn of the century, Leiter made at least 29 starts in each season, never registering an ERA above 3.99 and posting double-digit victories in all five. In his All-Star campaign in 2000, Leiter poured it all out. He pitched to a 2.93 ERA in the postseason, including a eight-inning, two-run effort over the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS and throwing 142 pitches in the deciding Game 5 loss to the Yankees in the Subway Series.

Matt Harvey

The peaks with Harvey provided some of the best theater in Mets history. After breaking into the major leagues in 2012, the right-hander's legend grew in 2013 when every start was seemingly a spectacle. "The Dark Knight" finished 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 178⅓ innings. He was fourth in Cy Young voting despite missing the final month with a torn UCL in his elbow. Harvey was just as electric in 2015 upon his return, going 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 189⅓ inning and then going 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA in four postseason starts as the Mets reached the World Series. The height of Harvey's Mets tenure outweighs the fall on this list.

Honorable mentions: Bartolo Colon, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, Pedro Martinez, Jon Niese

BULLPEN

Edwin Diaz

In his six seasons with the Mets, Diaz has placed himself on the pantheon of all-time great Mets closers. His 2022 season was one for the books as he notched 118 strikeouts in 62 innings while posting 32 saves and a 1.31 ERA to receive down ballot NL Cy Young consideration. Entering the 2025 All-Star break, Diaz had 495 strikeouts in 300 innings since joining the Mets.

Jeurys Familia

Familia was a homegrown success story after being signed by the Mets as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in 2007. After finishing seventh in Rookie of the Year voting in 2012 with a 2.21 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 76 appearances, Familia earned the team's closer role one year later. He had his best season in 2015, securing an NL-best 51 saves with 84 strikeouts in 77⅔ innings to receive an All-Star selection. Familia had a lifetime 3.27 ERA and 124 saves in 10 seasons with the Mets.

Billy Wagner

The upcoming Hall of Fame inductee spent parts of four seasons with the Mets, after signing with the team beginning in 2006. That proved to be one of his best seasons − he notched 40 saves with a 2.24 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 72⅓ innings as the Mets reached the NLCS. Wagner was an All-Star in each of his next two seasons with a combined 2.50 ERA, 61 saves and 132 strikeouts. He had a combined 2.37 ERA during his time with the Mets.

Seth Lugo

While Lugo broke into the major leagues as a starting pitcher, where has has returned and excelled with the Kansas City Royals, he made his biggest mark with the Mets out of the bullpen. He was consistently one of the team's most dependable middle relievers, posting a 2.91 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 237 appearances out of the bullpen as a member of the Mets.

Armando Benitez

While Benitez broke into the league as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, he really began to make his mark once he joined the Mets in 1999. The 2000 season was the right-hander's best with the Mets as he notched 41 saves with a 2.61 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 76 innings. In five seasons, Benitez posted 160 saves for the Mets.

Honorable mentions: Pedro Feliciano, John Franco, Bobby Parnell, Aaron Heilman, Addison Reed

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets lineup of best players by position from 2000 to 2025