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NY Mets history: The best ground ball season by a pitcher with 30 or more innings

How many worms sacrificed themselves for his ground balls?
May 15, 2009; San Francisco, CA, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Green (50) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA. The Mets defeated the Giants 8-6. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
May 15, 2009; San Francisco, CA, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Green (50) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA. The Mets defeated the Giants 8-6. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

In his 165.2 innings in 2025, Clay Holmes had the highest ground ball percentage of any New York Mets pitcher in team history with the innings to qualify. It was an impressive 55.8%. It topped R.A. Dickey in 2010 who had 55.1%.

The conversation doesn’t have to end there, though. What about all of those non-qualified pitchers, like relievers, who were masters at getting ground balls?

Setting a standard of 30 innings or more, the best to ever do it is a guy who was masterful at it throughout his career, Sean Green.

Sean Green had the best ground ball season of any Mets pitcher

Not to be confused with Shawn Green, the outfielder who played briefly with the Mets prior, this was a December 2008 acquisition in a three-team deal with the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. Successful as a middle reliever with great ground ball numbers, his biggest problem was how many hits he was still giving up.

Green had a 62.6% ground ball percentage for the Mariners in 2008 but a .261 batting average against him. Sometimes the curse of a pitcher who throws to contact and has the ball on teh ground, he wasn’t a brilliant run preventer.

His one full year with the Mets in 2009 included a 66.2% ground ball rate according to FanGraphs. Baseball-Reference has him at 65.9%. Either calculation puts him first on the list in team history.

Green had an improved .240 batting average against him in 2009. His career-best in any full season, it didn’t save him from a so-so 4.52 ERA. He gave up career-highs in home runs (5) and walks (4.7 per 9) that season. Together, they made his ground ball efficiency less notable.

An early injury in 2010 led to a lengthy IL stint and only 9.1 innings for the season. He’d log 11.1 more for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011 before his major league career came to an end.

For some historic context, Green’s ground ball rate for the Mets in 2009 is tied for the 66th best among pitchers with 30+ innings in a season. Data doesn't include how pitchers performed in the 20th Century.

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