NY Mets: 3 worst teams that were still fun to watch play ball

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26 Jun 1998: Bernard Gilkey #23 of the New York Mets in action during an interleague game against the New York Yankees at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. The Yankees defeated the Mets 7-2. /

The 1996 Mets exploded with offense

The 1996 MLB season was the first I really paid attention to. I had the Strat-O-Matic of this season so I knew all of the numbers. A couple of Mets always stood out for how fantastic they were at the plate.

Catcher Todd Hundley smacked a record 41 home runs for the Mets practically out of nowhere. The record would be tied 10 years later and wouldn’t fall until Pete Alonso hit 53 in 2019.

Hundley wasn’t alone in the offensive output. Lance Johnson set a franchise record as well with 227 hits. The speedy center fielder did it with 31 doubles, 21 triples, and 50 stolen bases mixed in. Johnson had the kind of season I don’t think we’ll ever see another Mets player repeat.

Finally, there was Bernard Gilkey. The club’s left fielder hit 30 home runs, drove in 117, and did it while slashing .317/.393/.562. Gilkey had one of the best seasons in team history at the plate. Even today some of his numbers hold up as some of the best of anyone to ever play for this franchise.

Also worth noting, closer John Franco put together one of his best seasons. He saved 28 games for the team to the tune of a 1.83 ERA.

Another bad Mets team with a season record of 71-91, you could always count on the club to at least score runs.

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