Angel Pagán

Pagán was one of the most watchable players on the Mets during the difficult Citi Field rebuilding years. He brought speed, personality, athletic catches, and enough power to keep games lively.

Pagan was one of the most watchable Mets during the difficult Citi Field rebuilding years. He had enough power to surprise a pitcher, enough speed to turn a routine ball into a double, and enough athletic ability to make center field feel larger than it was. When the roster around him was thin, his energy gave the team a pulse.

His best Mets stretch came in 2010 and 2011, when he became a regular part of the lineup and produced the kind of all-around play that does not fit neatly into one statistic. He battled injuries, moved between outfield spots, and occasionally made an unbelievable catch look followed by a frustrating mistake. That inconsistency was part of the experience, but so was the sense that something could happen whenever he ran into space.

Pagan was traded to San Francisco after 2011 and helped the Giants win a World Series. Mets fans watched that from a distance, knowing he had been one of the few genuinely fun players on several mediocre clubs. His Queens story never became a championship story, but it remains a useful reminder that rebuilding seasons still need players who make fans want to stay until the ninth inning.