Ordóñez joined the Single-A St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League in 1994 and later that season moved up to Double-A with the Eastern League's Binghamton Mets. He made his major league debut in 1996. Ordóñez won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards for his outstanding defensive play with the Mets from 1997 to 1999. During the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Ordóñez set a major league record for shortstops by playing 101 consecutive games without committing a fielding error. Furthermore, in 1999, Ordóñez committed only four errors while posting a .994 fielding percentage. It is arguably the best defensive single-season performance ever by a major league shortstop based on the number of errors.