Slugging Darryl Strawberry

With the first overall pick of the 1980 MLB Amateur Draft, the Mets selected right fielder Darryl Strawberry from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. He powered New York’s offense during the 1980s and collected a cache of awards along the way, including 1983 NL Rookie of the Year, seven All-Star nods and two Silver Sluggers. In his stellar 1988 season, Strawberry finished runner-up for NL MVP and led the league with 39 home runs and a .545 slugging percentage. “In my years of baseball, I have never seen a player with the physical attributes that Darryl has. Nobody,” teammate Lee Mazzilli said that season. “The man has been outstanding. I give him 10s in just about every aspect of the game.” Strawberry’s 252 home runs were the most by a Mets player until Pete Alonso passed him in 2025.