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Mets History: Ten lowest team-leading WARs in franchise history

ByTim Boyle|
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 20: Angel Pagan #16 of the New York Mets hits a two run home run during the eighth inning during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field on August 20, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 20: Angel Pagan #16 of the New York Mets hits a two run home run during the eighth inning during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field on August 20, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK – JULY 31: Former player Dwight Gooden speaks during a press conference for his induction into the New York Mets Hall of Fame prior to the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 31, 2010 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is one of baseball’s modern ways to measure how much a player contributes. In the history of the New York Mets, we look at the lowest totals to lead the team.

WAR may be a new statistic, but it’s not something we’re unable to measure from years past. Thanks to this, for those New York Mets players of yesteryear, we can better understand how they measured up against the competition.

Despite what some people may suggest, WAR is not the end-all, be-all of numbers. Meant to measure how valuable a player is when compared to the average guy around the league, it does have its faults.

After checking in on the highest WAR totals in Mets history to lead the ball club, I decided it was worth looking at the lowest ones that still managed to finish above everyone else. These ten Mets seasons included some of the worst teams in franchise and baseball history. Even their best player had a year he would like to do over again, or completely forget.

10) Dwight Gooden – 4.1 in 1993

Dwight Gooden has had his share of fantastic WAR seasons. His 1985 campaign included one of the best in MLB history. In 1993, his team-leading 4.1 WAR wasn’t nearly as fantastic.

The last-place Mets lost 103 games this season. Gooden, who went 12-15 with a 3.45 ERA, pitched his final full season with the team. With a better team around him, Gooden’s season could have looked a lot different. Alas, it cracks the top 10 of the lowest WAR numbers to lead the team.

9) Angel Pagan – 4.0 in 2009

Only a decade ago, outfielder Angel Pagan had a year where he led the Mets in WAR. Thanks to a .306 batting average, .350 OBP, and Gold Glove-caliber defense, he finished the season as the top WAR guy on the club.

Amazingly, Pagan had an even better one in 2010. We can credit his defense for this and the fact that he played a full season. In 2009, Pagan played in only 88 games for the Mets yet somehow still compiled enough wins above replacement to top the rest of his teammates.

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