Mets Superstition: Rick Porcello is next line to win a World Series MVP

The number 22 is significant in New York Mets history and for those who believed in more than coincidence, it means Rick Porcello is next in line to win a World Series MVP with this club.

When we think of Rick Porcello, World Series MVP isn’t the first thought to come to mind. One of the new members of the New York Mets for the 2020 season has had a successful career, but not at the level where we would expect him to carry this team to a championship.

However, if you’re a little superstitious with numbers, there’s reason to believe he’s the next in line to win this franchise a World Series MVP.

It all comes to the number on the back of his jersey. The 22 he will wear in 2020 matches what Donn Clendenon wore in 1969 and Ray Knight had on his jersey for the 1986 season.

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Both of those players helped the Mets win a World Series and earn MVP honors while doing so.

Porcello isn’t an absolute dark horse to achieve this. After all, Clendenon was far from the best player on the Mets in 1969. The same applies to Knight on the 1986 team.

As the projected number three or four starter for the club this year, Porcello falls well behind Jacob deGrom as far as future postseason odds would go. This doesn’t make it impossible. Plenty of average players have won the award over the years.

In 2018, Steve Pearce was the World Series MVP for the Boston Red Sox. Other more obscure names from recent memory include David Freese, Edgar Renteria, and David Eckstein.

Those guys all had explosive offensive performances. For a guy like Porcello to win a World Series MVP, he’s probably going to need two spectacular starts and possibly a clinching performance on the mound.

Before Porcello had the number 22, Dominic Smith wore it from 2017-2019. Prior to Smith, the number went to a number of journeymen who passed through Citi Field and Shea Stadium.

Another popular pitcher in Mets history did wear it, though. You may recall Al Leiter, another New Jersey-born pitcher, wearing it during his time with the organization. He did pitch for the Mets in the 2000 World Series where the MVP of the series went to Derek Jeter on the winning side.

In the other two World Series season the Mets played in but did not win, number 22 was worn by Hank Webb (1973) and Kevin Plawecki (2015). Webb didn’t even make it to the postseason roster while Plawecki didn’t leave the bench.

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If the Mets manage to make it that far in 2020, Porcello should be there. And when he gets on the mound, we all better hope it’s more than a coincidence Clendenon and Knight shared a number.