Ranking the 10 best individual pitching seasons in Mets history

7. Johan Santana - 2008

The final season at Shea Stadium was filled with ups and downs. The Mets had an amazing chance to get back to the postseason but a late-season collapse took that away. However, a bright spot was the play of Johan Santana.

Following the 2007 season the Mets acquired Santana from the Twins in a blockbuster deal that sent prospects Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey to Minnesota in exchange for the southpaw.

Santana's first year as a Met was his best. He went 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA, striking out 206 batters in a league-leading 234.1 innings pitched. Santana lived up to the hype. He took the ball every fifth day and absolutely shoved.

In one instance, he even took the ball before the fifth day. Pitching on three-days rest with the Mets season on the line, Santana threw a memorable three-hit shutout against the Marlins. He struck out nine batters in the 2-0 victory. Of course we know how the season ended, but the ace coming through in that spot was absolutely massive at the time.

Not only was he lights out in that start, but Santana was outstanding the entire second half. As the season went on, he kept improving. In the second half, he went 8-0 with a 2.17 ERA in 15 starts. He posted an ERA under 2.00 in August and September, going at least six innings and allowing three runs or less in all twelve of those starts, including two shutouts.

Santana for some reason was not an all-star but he did finish in third place in the Cy Young race and 14th in the MVP balloting.