NY Mets World Series teams ranked: Who was truly great and who got lucky?

3) 2000 Mets

The 2000 Mets were the first in my lifetime to actually make it to the World Series. They came close a year earlier in 1999 when they suffered a tough loss to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. Fortunately, they didn’t have to face the Braves this time. Instead, they rolled through the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals on their way to the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Of course, the Mets fell to the Yankees and all of the good times came to an end. Despite the heartbreak, the 2000 team was the third-best in club history to ever make it to the World Series.

What made the 2000 Mets team so special was their incredible balance both on offense and on the mound. Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonzo both had memorable years at the plate. Add in the production from the rest of the regulars, we have one of the better offensive teams in club history.

The pitching staff was vastly improved from the year prior. Five starters won double-digit games. In his one season with the club, Mike Hampton went 15-10 with a 3.14 ERA. Lefty Al Leiter was 16-8 with a 3.20 ERA.

I’ve written about the 2000 Mets a lot on Rising Apple and I am convinced this team had what it takes to win a championship. Match them up with a team other than the dynasty Yankees, people in their 20s might have a World Series in their memory.