DeGrom has received numerous accolades: he was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2014, won the Cy Young Trophy in 2018 and 2019, was an All-Star four times, led the league in strikeouts twice, and in 2021, tough for the la most dominant season of the integrated era (1947–present) posting a 1.08 ERA in 15 starts when hand injuries forced him to shut down.
But is that enough to say he was better than Dwight Gooden or more important to the team than Jerry Kusman?
The question is entirely subjective, of course, but seeing where Mets players fall in different categories is an interesting way to gauge the value of a team that has seen the best pitchers early in their careers (Nolan Ryan, David Cone , Zach Wheeler). ), and last (Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavin, Johan Santana), but very few stuck around long enough for their enduring image to remain in the blue-orange Mets uniform.
best single of the season
Tom Seaver’s performance in 1969 would be an excellent pick for the greatest singles season in club history. He went 25-7, had a 2.21 ERA, was an All-Star, won the Cy Young Award and finished second in the National League season voting. The Valuable Player Award led the team to the World Series title.
Statistically, though, it can be argued that this wasn’t the best year for Seaver, let alone the best for the Mets’ starting lineup.
According to the Baseball Reference formula, Siver’s 7.2 victories over substitutions in 1969 is tied to deGrom’s 2019 WAR for seventh in team history, according to the Baseball Reference formula. 1973 (10.6), his best year.
DeGrom’s best WAR season came in 2018 at 9.5 (and 1.70 ERA), and the top 10 also includes John Matluck in 1974 (9.1), Santana in 2008 (7.1) and Martinez in 2005 (7.0).
But all of these amazing performances come on the heels of Gooden’s scandalous 1985 season. At the time, Gooden was just 20 years old and was 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA. WAR of 12.2, which is the highest rating of the integrated era and the fourth-best pitcher since 1901, trailing only Walter Johnson (twice) and Cy Young.
The best game
DeGrom’s most impressive game came on April 23, 2021, when he had two hits with 15 strikeouts against the Washington Nationals, the team that won the World Series that season. strikeouts, scoring points for hits, runs, home runs and walks, he posted a career-high 98, the fourth-highest total in Mets history.
The team’s third-best game record went to Cohn, who scored 99 for a three-hit shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies on October 6, 1991, in which he struck out 19 batters.
Second place went to Seaver, who scored 106 points against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 1, 1974, in a performance in which he gave up one run, three hits and two walks in 12 innings, but received a no-decision when the Mets they lost. in 14 innings.
Surprisingly, the highest rating goes to Rob Gardner, an unremarkable lefty who made his fifth career appearance on Oct. 2, 1965, when he went 15 scoreless innings against the Phillies. five hits and two walks, striking out 7. Mainly thanks to a slew of interiors, Gardner scored 112 points per game, which was the fifth-best finish of the integrated era, but it wasn’t enough to win: a game in the Philadelphia’s Chris Short, who also played 15 scoreless innings, was ruled tied 0-0 after 18 innings due to Saturday night’s curfew in the second game of the doubleheader.
When Gardner was game interview Hanna Keizer for Yahoo in 2020, was especially humble.
“I have to say that the guy who ran against me performed just as well as I did, if not better,” Gardner said. “He just didn’t live long enough to be interviewed about it.”
(Santana notched the franchise’s only solo no-hitter on June 1, 2012, but with eight strikeouts and five walks, he scored 90 points in the game, the 49th-best start in franchise history.)
best race
It’s no surprise that Seaver has the most WAR in franchise history at 76. He also leads the team in wins, innings, strikeouts, strikeouts, and many other categories. .
Coming in fourth on the team’s career list is Kusman, who had 39.4 WAR over 12 seasons, going 140-137 with a 3.09 ERA and 1,799 strikeouts. Metz in 2021.
In third place was deGrom, who had 41.1 in nine seasons. Lack of running support gave him an 82-57 record, but his 2.52 ERA is the third-best in a career-expanding era. He started one game for the team in the World Series in his sophomore season and never had a chance to make up for a lackluster performance in a Game 2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
In second place, barely keeping a call from deGrom, Gooden. Drafted by the team in the first round in 1982, he spent 11 seasons with the Mets, going 157-85 with a 3.10 ERA and 1,875 strikeouts. He never really lived. with promise in his first three seasons, but he’s won the World Series, Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards, and his 41.6 WAR will trail only Seaver now that deGrom has left the team.
Gooden should be safe in this spot for a while. The franchise WAR leader among pitchers currently under contract is Max Scherzer, who posted a 5.2 in his first year with the team.
