The 2021 New York Mets missed the postseason and finished third in the National League East. However, they are still feeling the effects of a trade for Javier Báez before the trade deadline.

The Mets traded away their No. 5 prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, at the time in exchange for Báez and Trevor Williams. Báez finished the season with the Mets but signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Detroit Tigers in the offseason.

At the time, Crow-Armstrong had recently undergone shoulder surgery. By 2023, he was the Cubs’ top prospect and in 2024 was the No. 16 prospect in all of baseball. Now, he is looking like a superstar who could have been sharing the outfield with Soto for years to come.

Crow-Armstrong is slashing .264/.303/.535 with nine home runs. Meanwhile, the Mets have gotten a .646 OPS and two home runs out of their centerfielders. Crow-Armstrong is looking like he is going to be an All-Star caliber player with a rare power-speed combination.

He has 12 stolen bases and is one home run shy of tying last season’s total, which he set in 123 games. The Cubs are leading the National League Central and have one of the best offenses in baseball, and Crow-Armstrong has his fingerprints all over it.

Báez slashed .299/.371/.515 in 47 games with the Mets. He also famously called out fans for booing the team. Crow-Armstrong looks to have a long career ahead of him, but as of right now, it looks as though the Mets made a mistake by trading him away.

Báez was a two-time All-Star when the Mets made the trade. Crow-Armstrong could be on his way to his first All-Star selection this year, while the Mets are searching for answers in centerfield.

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