Mets: 15 best starting pitchers all-time in franchise history

3) Mets Best Staring Pitcher – Dwight Gooden

For the longest time, Dwight Gooden was the number two pitcher in Mets history. There was little to debate. His career with the franchise set him apart from so many before and after. His spot at number three is still worthy of high praise. Gooden is, after all, one of the greats to wear orange and blue.

Not many players began their career as flashy as Gooden did. He was the 1984 Rookie of the Year behind some of the most incredible numbers by an MLB freshman.

Gooden made 31 starts for the Mets, went 17-9, and finished with a 2.60 ERA. As if this wasn’t a grand enough entrance, he followed it up with an absolutely legendary sophomore year in 1986. This time around, Gooden went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA. He captured the NL Cy Young and put himself in the record books with one of the best seasons of all-time for a pitcher.

Through the rest of the 1980s and even into the early 1990s, Gooden remained the team’s ace. We did see his numbers slightly fade in some aspects in the new decade, but even armed with a 3.83 ERA in 1990, Gooden managed to win 19 games.

His career numbers with the Mets are impressive. His 157-85 record gives him a .649 winning percentage—the best in club history. The win total itself is second and his 3.10 ERA is tied for seventh among all pitchers.

Although I have dropped him down to number three on this list, he continues to have the second-greatest WAR for pitchers in franchise history at 41.6.