I decided to take a different approach with this week’s Time Machine. Every other player I’ve talked about so far is no longer playing in the major leagues. In honor of him returning to action this week after being sidelined since the middle of April, I thought it was appropriate to highlight one of the most exciting players in Mets history: Jose Reyes.
A native of Santiago in the Dominican Republic, Mets scouts noticed Reyes at a tryout in his hometown, back in 1999. Despite his smaller frame, New York decided to offer him a contract. It would end up being one of the best decisions the organization ever made. Reyes officially became a part of the organization when he signed the deal on August 16, 1999.
Instead of sending him to the Dominican Summer League to start his professional career, the Mets brought Reyes to America in 2000 and inserted him into Rookie Ball with the Kingsport Mets. He got his feet wet in 132 at-bats, putting together a pedestrian .250/.359/.318 line. It was the 2001 season that we all saw what kind of player the Amazins may eventually get in Flushing.
Reyes excelled in his first full season of professional ball in the Sally League with Capital City. The shortstop hit .307/.337/.472 with five home runs, 48 RBIs, 71 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases. He won the player of the year award, and was on the fast track toward the majors; Baseball America ranked him the 34th best prospect in the league prior to the start of the 2002 season.
He reported to PSL for the 2002 season, and got some valuable experience in big league camp before getting assigned to Single-A St. Lucie. It took him just 69 games before the organization promoted him to Binghamton for the remainder of the season. He finished the year with a combined line of .288/.343/.444 with 58 stolen bases.
It was an end of an era before the 2003 season, and the signal of a new one to come; the Mets traded incumbent shortstop Rey Ordonez to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and signed veteran Rey Sanchez to a one-year deal. The idea was that Sanchez would keep the position warm while Reyes (the 3rd-best prospect in baseball, according to BA) put the finishing touches on his minor league journey in Triple-A Norfolk. He hit .269/.333/.356 in 160 at-bats before he got called up to the big leagues. He made his MLB debut on June 10th, 2003 as a 19-year-old, and celebrated his 20th birthday the next day.
We all know the story from there. The beginning of Jose’s time in the big leagues were hampered by injuries. While 2005 could be considered a breakout year, his skills were showcased in 2006 as the Mets were one hit away from the World Series. He remained one of the most exciting players in baseball when he was on the field, but the team could never get back to the postseason. Reyes then left via free agency for a six-year/$106 million deal with the Miami Marlins, and was traded to the Blue Jays a year later.
He didn’t leave Flushing without making his mark, though. Reyes led the league in stolen bases three times, while being at the top of the leader board in triples on four occasions, and won the NL batting title in 2011. His 370 stolen bases and 99 triples are both franchise records that use to be Mookie Wilson‘s. Reyes finished his time with the Mets with a .292/.341/.441 career line.
Oh, what could have been if he stayed in New York, right? The Mets could certainly use a shortstop right about now. I’m not saying he’d be the answer to a playoff run, but it sure would help. If he did get an official contract offer and hung around, it would have been him and David Wright on top of all the franchise leader boards, but it wasn’t meant to be. He’s now a former Met and former Met farmhand that was a heck of a lot of fun to watch, but his tenure with the organization certainly ended too soon.