Former New York Mets Slugger Has Died

Former New York Mets outfielder Butch Huskey, one of the last players associated with the franchise to wear the iconic uniform number 42, has died at the age of 54.

The Mets announced the news on Friday, expressing sorrow over the loss of the Oklahoma native who spent significant portions of his major league career in Queens. No cause of death has been disclosed.

Huskey, born on November 10, 1971, in Anadarko, Oklahoma, was selected by the Mets in the seventh round of the 1989 amateur draft straight out of high school.

He reached the majors in September 1993, making his debut on his 21st birthday in a game that ended with the Mets being no-hit by Houston’s Darryl Kile.

Over parts of five seasons with the club between 1993 and 1998, he appeared in 414 games, compiling a .264 batting average and a .740 OPS while primarily playing the outfield and seeing time at third base and first base.

His strongest campaign came in 1997, when he posted career highs with 24 home runs and 81 runs batted in across 142 games. That season coincided with a historic moment in baseball: Major League Baseball permanently retired number 42 league-wide to honor Jackie Robinson.

Because Huskey had already been wearing the number, a grandfather clause allowed him to continue doing so for the remainder of his Mets tenure. He later reflected publicly on the privilege of carrying that number, noting the inspiration he drew from Robinson’s perseverance and the special connection it created for him as a Black player in the big leagues.

Mo Vaughn would wear 42 for the Mets in the early 2000s, making Huskey the penultimate player in franchise history to don the digits during regular play.

After the 1998 season, the Mets traded Huskey to the Seattle Mariners. He moved on to the Boston Red Sox later in 1999, contributing during a season in which Boston reached the American League Championship Series before falling to the New York Yankees.

Brief stops followed with the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies in 2000, after which his major league career concluded. Across seven seasons overall, he finished with a .267 average, 86 home runs, and 336 RBI.

Huskey’s time in New York came during a transitional period for the Mets, bridging leaner years toward the more competitive late-1990s clubs. Fans who followed the team then often recalled his powerful right-handed swing and imposing 6-foot-3, 244-pound frame.

While he never fully realized the superstar projections once attached to him as a prospect, his connection to number 42 ensured a lasting place in Mets lore. The organization and those who watched him play now remember a player whose career intertwined with one of baseball’s most meaningful symbols.