michael joseph piazza (born september 4, 1968) is a former american baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in major league baseball (mlb), from 1992 to 2007. his best years were played with the los angeles dodgers and new york mets. piazza is regarded by many as the best offensive (hitting, batting) catcher of all time. he holds many batting records among catchers, such as most career home runs (427) and seven seasons hitting 30 or more home runs. despite allegations of using anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, piazza was eventually elected to the baseball hall of fame in 2016.