The 3 best Mets pitching performances in NLCS history ranked

It is no secret that the New York Mets path to success in the playoffs has been great pitching, the thing that has defined the franchise throughout its history. For a franchise that has been successful in October (when they got there), they have ridden big-time performances to the World Series. With the 2024 NLCS upon us, now is a good time to look back at some of the greatest pitching performances in the National League Championship Series in Mets history.

3. Tom Seaver in 1973 vs. the Cincinnati Reds

Following a miraculous finish to the 1973 regular season, which featured the Mets winning the NL East despite winning just 82 games, the team had a much taller task ahead of them in the NLCS... a date with the heavily favored Cincinnati Reds and the Big Red Machine.

Tom Seaver started Game 1 of that series in Cincinnati, and he pitched exceptionally well, striking out 13 batters and walking none. However, with the Mets leading 1-0 in the 8th, he gave up a game-tying homer to Pete Rose and then a walk-off blast to Johnny Bench in the next inning as the Mets fell 2-1. Still, 13 strikeouts, including at least one against every batter that faced him during the game and a lineup that featured three Hall of Famers and the all-time hits leader, all in the primes of their careers, was pretty impressive.

Then, with the pennant on the line, Seaver came back and pitched the fifth and deciding game at Shea Stadium (back when the LCS was a best-of-five series). And he delivered, giving up just two runs (one earned) in 8.1 superb innings in a 7-2 win that won the pennant for the Mets.

Overall, "The Franchise" went 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 16.2 innings with 17 strikeouts and five walks in the best postseason performance of his legendary career.