Mets reliever Tommy Hunter ecstatic after his first major-league hit . . . in 14th season

ATLANTA — Tommy Hunter is a 34-year-old journeyman pitcher, veteran of 14 major-league seasons with seven teams. He has played in 476 games, including 76 starts and 22 saves, plus seven more across three trips to the postseason. He has a career 4.05 ERA. He has made more than $30 million.

But what he did Tuesday night in the third inning against Atlanta tops it all.

He smacked a 100-mph, line-drive single to leftfield for his first career hit. That improved his lifetime batting line to 1-for-5.

Hours later, in a video news conference, Hunter was absolutely beside himself, thrilled and barely able to form a sentence.

"Highlight. Hands down. Best thing. I mean, I don’t know. I have no idea," said Hunter, who generally is relaxed and cheerful even by middle-reliever standards. "I jumped on first like a Little Leaguer. It was crazy. That is the coolest thing I’ve ever done in the big leagues."

Then his face contorted with excitement.

"I got a knock in The Show," Hunter said, borderline yelling. He added later: "I’ve had this kind of energy, I swear to you, since I’ve come off [the field]."

Hunter was batting only because the pitcher’s spot came up between his two scoreless innings. In a bullpen game, the Mets needed him for another inning and didn’t want to use a pinch hitter, so they let him take a shot.

"My heart was beating so fast," he said.

The fateful pitch was a 92-mph fastball over the plate from rookie lefthander Tucker Davidson. Hunter hooked it into leftfield. The Mets’ dugout went wild. He reciprocated with some sort of hip-thrust dance move.

"That really surprised us," manager Luis Rojas said of the hit. "He barreled it, man. He got his line drive."

Hunter added: "He threw the ball into my barrel and it worked."

Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman told Hunter, according to Hunter: "'Tommy, I’m still trying to take in what just happened too, buddy."'

Then Jonathan Villar hit a two-run home run, and Hunter circled the bases.

"That was the most I’ve run in probably like four years," said Hunter, who is listed at 6-3 and 250 pounds. "I don’t like running, so it’s a challenge. But I’ll tell you what: That’s a long way around the bases."

Sensing an at-bat was a possibility, he had taken batting practice at Citi Field last week, he said, a revival of his habit in recent years while with the Phillies.

Hunter guessed that he didn’t have a hit at any level since 2005, when he was in high school. He hadn’t stepped to the plate in a game since 2018. Before that, 2012, when he was with the Orioles and faced Johan Santana at Citi Field.

All along, though, getting a hit was something he very much dreamt of doing.

"Every day," he said. "I try to hit BP. I needed this. This is — I needed this. I needed this."

Needed it in what sense?

"I don’t know. Fulfillment? Like I’m a real baseball player? I don’t have a clue," he said. "It’s just — I don’t even think my son thinks I’m a real baseball player because I don’t get to hit, right? And every little kid wants [to hit]. He got to see it tonight."

Hunter’s son is 5 years old, old enough that he "gets it," he said. His wife sent him video of the youngster watching his dad on TV.

"This has been a long time coming. Oh my gosh. Fun. Good times," he said. "I called my wife afterwards. Her smile kind of let me know that hey, it’s OK to be this happy."