Harrison Bader angered some Mets fans during an interview with Bleacher Report when he was asked to name his Mount Rushmore of New York athletes, and proceeded to name all Yankees.
The Mets outfielder only name three (a Mount Rushmore list typically involves four names), but quickly named Derek Jeter, Aaron Judge, and Anthony Volpe, in what some seemed as a bizarre response given the team he currently plays for.
Bader spent time in the outfield next to Judge in 2022 and parts of 2023, and played with Volpe in 2023 before joining the Reds. He then signed with the Mets this offseason, and has expressed some frustration with his outfield role as he fights to be a regular starter.
Having grown up a Yankee fan in New York, the inclusion of Jeter is understandable, as is Judge given his current level of stardom. The Volpe entry is puzzling for a current Mets player whose franchise has employed the likes of Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, and David Wright.
The timing of the release of the interview, just hours before the team’s latest disastrous loss on Wednesday, certainly didn’t help matters.