The best season by a Mets player at each age

25: Jerry Koosman, 1968

The second appearance on this list from the Year of the Pitcher, Koosman was actually objectively better than Seaver in ‘68. Pitching to a 2.08 ERA, 1.1 WHIP and 145 ERA+ with 178 strikeouts in 263.2 innings pitched, he put up a season that would have been worthy of the Cy Young Award in most other years. Just like Seaver though, he had Gibson to contend with.

This was also Koosman’s first full season in the league. He finished No. 2 in the NL Rookie of the Year race, losing to a little-known catcher from Cincinnati by the name of Johnny Bench. It was an incredibly tight race, with Bench bringing home 10.5 vote points to Koosman’s 9.5. There’s a legitimate argument to be made that Koosman should have won, as his 2.08 ERA is definitely more impressive than Bench’s .743 OPS. Koosman also finished tied for No. 13 in the NL MVP race, while Bench finished No. 16. Regardless, there are worse people to lose to than Bench. Koosman is a Mets legend, and his rookie season was one for the record books.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Seaver 1970, Darryl Strawberry 1987, David Cone 1988, David Wright 2008

26: Tom Seaver, 1971

Seaver’s second appearance on this list just might be the best season of his career. In his fifth full season, he threw 286.1 innings, struck out 289 batters and put up an MLB leading 1.76 ERA, 0.946 WHIP, 1.93 FIP and 194 ERA+. His 289 strikeouts remain a Mets single-season record, as do his 21 complete games.

Seaver arguably should have won the NL Cy Young award that year, especially considering all the categories he led the league in. Instead, the award went to Fergie Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs. Jenkins had a really good year, putting up a 2.77 ERA over 325 innings — but frankly, it just didn’t compare to Seaver’s. However, Jenkins did have a league-leading 24 wins, while Seaver had a mere 20. In 1971, that mattered a lot more than it does now, 50 years later. At the end of the day though, that doesn’t take away from the terrific season Tom had. Two years later, he’d once again lead baseball in ERA, WHIP and ERA+, and this time, he’d get the recognition he deserved. That’s coming up, but we’re not there yet.

Honorable Mentions: Cleon Jones 1969, Jerry Koosman 1969, Darryl Strawberry 1988, Edgardo Alfonzo 2000

27: Todd Hundley, 1996

Age-27 was one of the more difficult ones to pick, seeing as there wasn’t a no-brainer, standout season of the bunch like there was for many of the previous ages. Seaver and Jacob deGrom were both very good, but it was far from their best seasons (which is really saying something). Wright had a solid year but nothing special, Strawberry had probably his worst season as a Met and players like Mike Piazza, Keith Hernandez and Carlos Beltran had yet to don the orange and blue.

So, we land on Hundley. In 153 games — the only time in his career he played more than 85% of the games in a season — Hundley hit .259/.356/.550. His .906 OPS was solid, especially for a catcher, but what really puts his 1996 season on the map is that he hit 41 home runs. There have only been three seasons in MLB history where a catcher has hit more home runs: Javy Lopez in 2003 (43), Johnny Bench in 1970 (45) and Salvador Perez in 2021 (48). Even of those three, only Lopez has more strictly from the catcher position. Bench hit seven of his spread across various other positions, and Perez hit 15 as a DH. Hundley’s season is impressive on its own, but it’s even more impressive for a catcher. For that, it takes home the crown for age-27.

Honorable Mentions: Tommie Agee 1970, Craig Swan 1978, Jeff McNeil 2019

28: Tom Seaver, 1973

Time to complete the hat trick. While the Seaver’s best season may have come two years earlier, it was far from his only dominant one. In 290 innings, he once again led MLB in ERA (2.08), WHIP (0.976) and ERA+ (175), while also leading the National League in strikeouts (251), complete games (18) and FIP (251). Seaver took home the NL Cy Young award and finished No. 8 in NL MVP voting. It was the second of three Cy Youngs that he won in his career, but due to a certain Met who wears No. 48, it’ll be the last time Seaver appears on this list.

Seaver headlined a three-headed monster of a pitching staff, that along with Koosman and Matlack, helped power the Mets to the best record in the National League East. Behind Seaver and the pitching, the Mets then knocked off the Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and the Big Red Machine in the NLCS, a team that won a whopping 17 more games than the Mets did in the regular season to win the National League West. Ultimately the ‘73 Mets would fall to the Oakland A’s in the World Series, but it was still an incredible campaign from Seaver.

Honorable Mentions: Howard Johnson 1989, Darryl Strawberry 1990, Jose Reyes 2011

29: Carlos Beltran, 2006

While age-27 was hard to choose because of a lack of any clear standout seasons, age-29 is equally hard for the exact opposite reason. There are almost too many truly great seasons to choose from. They’ll get listed in the honorable mentions as usual, but one season deserves a special shoutout because it’s truly a shame to leave it off the list. John Olerud in 1998 was amazing. He hit .354 (!!) and had an on-base percentage of .447, both of which remain Mets single-season records to this day.

Beltran just happened to be a little bit better overall in a season that mattered more. In his second full season in Queens, Beltran broke out in a way he failed to do in his first year. In 140 games, he hit .275/.388/.594 with 41 home runs and 116 RBI. Beltran was an All-Star, finished No. 4 in the NL MVP race and took home both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove for center field. While Olerud’s ‘98 Mets finished 88-74 and out of the playoffs, Beltran’s ‘06 Mets won the NL East at 97-65. Beltran was really good in the playoffs too, especially in the NLCS … it’s just unfortunate how it ended for him. 

Still, getting locked up by an Adam Wainwright curveball doesn’t erase the great season he had, and his great season doesn’t take away from Olerud’s in ‘98. They were both phenomenal, and either one of them could have gotten the nod here.

Honorable Mentions: Bernard Gilkey 1996, John Olerud 1998, Johan Santana 2008, David Wright 2012

30: Jacob deGrom, 2018

We’ve made it to deGrom. Everyone knew it was coming, and there really is no other season that can make a legitimate case here. deGrom’s 2018 was one for the record books. While the Mets as a whole were a bad team that usually was not much fun to watch, that was not the case every fifth day. That was deGrom day, and deGrom day was (and still is) must-see tv. Over 217 innings, deGrom put up an MLB best 1.70 ERA and 218 ERA+, both of which are second only to Gooden’s ‘85 when it comes to single-season marks in Mets history.

He ran away with the NL Cy Young award, picking up 29 of the 30 first-place votes. The one voter who didn’t vote for him, and instead voted for future Met Max Scherzer, did so on the basis of pitching wins. deGrom set history in ‘18 by winning the Cy Young with just 10 wins, the fewest of any starting pitcher to win the award in a full season. He also probably should have won the NL MVP, or at the very least there’s no way he should have finished fifth as he did.

deGrom had a bWAR of 10.4, which was a full 3.1 more than Christian Yelich, who won. Yes, Yelich had a great season (7.3 bWAR and 1.000 OPS), but deGrom had a historic one. A 1.000 OPS is very impressive, but there have been 116 individual qualified seasons with an OPS of 1.000 or more since 2000. In that same timeframe, there have been just 11 individual qualified seasons with an ERA below 2.00. deGrom’s 2018 was one of them.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Seaver 1975, Frank Viola 1990, Howard Johnson 1991, Mike Piazza 1999

31: Jacob deGrom, 2019

deGrom’s follow-up season wasn’t quite as historic, but it was still plenty dominant. Over 204 innings pitched, he put up a 2.43 ERA, 169 ERA+ and an NL leading 255 strikeouts. Once again, he took home the NL Cy Young award with 29 of the 30 possible first-place votes, but at least this time it was more understandable. Hyun-Jin Ryu actually had the slight edge over deGrom in both ERA and ERA+, but deGrom had a massive lead in bWAR.

deGrom’s second Cy Young put him in an elite club, joining Seaver as the only Mets pitcher to win the award twice. He also became the only Met to do so in back-to-back years, making himself one of just 11 players to win consecutive Cy Young Awards in MLB history. deGrom is on the Hall-of-Fame track, and to be perfectly honest, he’s probably already done enough to earn a plaque in Cooperstown. Since 2014, when deGrom entered the league, there is only one starting pitcher who has had a better ERA and ERA+ than him, and that is Clayton Kershaw, a no-doubt first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. That’s deGrom’s company, an all-time great — because he’s one as well.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Seaver 1976, Gary Carter 1985, Mike Piazza 2000

32: Keith Hernandez, 1986

This was a tricky age to pick. While Hernandez maybe didn’t quite have the statistically best season of the candidates, the accolades he picked up in the ‘86 season, both personal and team, gave him the edge. That said he was still really good, hitting .310/.413/.446 with 13 home runs, 34 doubles and an NL leading 94 walks. He was an All-Star, finished No. 4 in the NL MVP race and picked up Gold Glove No. 9 for his career. 

Of course, Hernandez was also instrumental in the Mets’ World Series run, one that has since been turned into an ESPN 30-for-30. He didn’t hit overly well in those games, but he played every single inning for the Mets at first base. He picked up at least one hit in 10 out of the 13 games and drove in three runs in Game 7 of the World Series, a game they would go on to win 8-5. While Al Leiter’s 1998 season got some serious consideration, Hernandez’s strong play and importance to the World Series-winning ‘86 team earned him the nod.

Honorable Mentions: Lance Johnson 1996, Al Leiter 1998, Mike Piazza 2001

33: Pedro Martinez, 2005

Pedro’s career with the Mets was relatively short-lived and inconsistent, but he started it with a bang. After stealing him away from the Boston Red Sox by giving him a 4-year, $53 million deal, the Hall-of-Fame bound pitcher had a really nice first year in Queens. In 217 innings pitched, he put up a 2.82 ERA, 2.95 FIP and 146 ERA+. He also had a 0.949 WHIP, which was the best in baseball.

He made the first of two All-Star games as a Met and formed a nice veteran duo with Tom Glavine at the top of the rotation. After that, his career with the Mets took a noticeable downward turn. Over the next three seasons, Martinez threw just 269.2 innings to the tune of a 4.74 ERA and 91 ERA+. Nevertheless, for that one season, he was as advertised — an ace that the Mets could rely on every fifth day to give them an outing worthy of a No. 1 starter.

Honorable Mentions: Jerry Koosman 1976, Mike Piazza 2002, Jacob deGrom 2021 (yes he was that good in just half of a season)

34: Carlos Delgado 2006

Before the 2005 season, Delgado signed a 4-year, $52 million contract with the Marlins after reportedly turning down a similar deal from the Mets. However, thanks to one of Florida’s infamous fire sales (yes, it was still the Florida Marlins then), he found himself in Flushing less than a calendar year later. He made an immediate impact, hitting .265/.361/.548 with 38 home runs which was second-most on the Mets, only trailing the other Carlos — Beltran. He drove in 114 runs, just two fewer than both Beltran and Wright, and put up a 131 OPS, also only behind those two.

Delgado was a massive upgrade at first base that the Mets desperately needed after getting a combined .693 OPS out of the position in 2005. He provided a thump in the middle of the order and helped power the Mets nearly all the way to the World Series. He was on fire in the postseason too, the first and last time he made it. In 10 games, Delgado went 13-37 at the plate with four homers, three doubles and 11 RBI, good for a 1.199 OPS. Unfortunately, the Mets came up short — but it wasn’t for Delgado’s lack of trying.

Honorable Mentions: Al Leiter 2000, Todd Zeile 2000, Curtis Granderson 2015

35: R.A. Dickey 2010

We’re getting into the older end of the ages here, but there are still some really quality seasons to come. Leading it off is Dickey, and while he’s most famous for his Cy Young season (which is coming up later), his first season with the Mets was nearly just as good. In fact, all three seasons he spent in Queens were really great, just the bookends make this list. To start his Mets career, Dickey threw 174.1 innings over 26 starts (and 1 relief appearance), pitching to a 2.84 ERA and 138 ERA+.

Dickey formed a really solid duo at the top of the rotation for the Mets, joined by Johan Santana in what would be his last true full(ish) season in the big leagues. Mike Pelfrey and Jon Niese turned in two good enough years behind them to form a really solid rotation, despite lacking a consistent fifth starter. For someone who signed with the Mets on a minor league deal and whose arrival was rather uncelebrated, he turned into one of the biggest steals the Mets have ever had. 

Honorable Mentions: Ed Charles 1968, Al Leiter 2001, Marlon Byrd 2013

36: Carlos Delgado, 2008

The only hitter to win two separate ages on this list, Delgado might just be the player who aged the best in franchise history, remaining productive well into his mid-30s. This season wasn’t nearly as iconic as his 2006 campaign due to the Mets missing the playoffs, but Delgado still had a really nice year. Hitting .271/.353/.518, it was a nice bounce-back season after dropping to just about league-average at the plate in 2007.

Delgado slugged 38 homers, drove in 115 runs, and finished the season with a 128 OPS+. He joined Strawberry and Piazza as the only Mets players to ever have two seasons with at least 38 home runs — and the most impressive part is he only spent three seasons and change in Queens. Perhaps overshadowed by playing most of his career in the steroid era, Delgado didn't get the recognition he deserved when his time came to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot, falling off in his first year. With a .929 OPS and .138 OPS+ for his career, he certainly deserved more consideration. His 2008 season, hitting 38 home runs at age-36 should have been case enough.

Honorable Mentions: John Franco 1997, Jose Valentin 2006, R.A. Dickey 2011, 

37: R.A. Dickey, 2012

The knuckleballer returns! Of course, you knew it was coming, but it’s not any less exciting. The 2010 season was Dickey’s first as a Met, and the 2012 season was his last — but it was without a doubt his best. In a National League-best 233.2 innings pitched (a total no Mets pitcher has reached since), Dickey put up a 2.73 ERA, 1.053 WHIP, 3.27 FIP, 139 ERA+ and 230 strikeouts, all of which were career highs.

While the 2012 Mets, aside from a few bright spots like Wright and Niese, were largely a trainwreck, Dickey was a shining star. He made his first and only All-Star game, throwing a scoreless bottom of the sixth and only giving up one hit to a little-known rookie by the name of Mike Trout. He also picked up the NL Cy Young Award, joining an elite club of Mets pitchers to win it, which at the time was just Seaver and Gooden.

And then, all of a sudden, Dickey was gone. The Mets traded him in the offseason to the Toronto Blue Jays for a package that included Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard. While d’Arnaud and Syndergaard never quite lived fully up to their potential, both had their own levels of success in a Mets uniform. Ultimately, the trade would go down as one of the best in recent memory for the Mets. The ramifications are also still being felt, as the Mets received a compensatory pick when Syndergaard left for the Angels this offseason — so who knows, this trade has the potential to get even better.

Honorable Mentions: Eddie Murray 1993, Al Leiter 2003

38: Al Leiter, 2004

It was actually pretty surprising to have this much competition in the age-38 season, but both Leiter and Glavine put up really solid years. However, in the end, Leiter ended up having the edge in most of the categories. Throwing 173.2 innings with a 3.21 ERA and 133 ERA+, Leiter put up an impressive year for any pitcher, but even more so for one close to 40-years old.

It was Leiter’s last year in a Mets uniform, ending his seven-year run that started in 1998. In those seven years, he threw over 1,300 innings and put up 3.42 ERA and 124 ERA+. His inning totals currently stand at No. 7 in Mets history, though he’ll soon be passed by deGrom. Still, Leiter’s career is one of the more underappreciated in Mets history. He has the third-highest ERA+ of any Mets pitcher with a minimum of 750 innings pitched. He also managed to do something not many pitchers could — stay productive well into his late-30s.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Seaver 1983, Brett Butler 1995, Tom Glavine 2004

39: Tom Glavine, 2005

Glavine didn’t win the last age, but he wins this one very easily. There are only a handful of age-39 seasons in Mets history with an even semi-significant amount of playing time, and Glavine’s is the only one that really had any notable impact. Over 211.1 innings, he pitched to a 3.53 ERA and 116 ERA+. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was certainly quality innings.

Glavine spent five years with the Mets and his 2005 season was smack in the middle. While both his first and last season in Queens was underwhelming, he had a three-year stretch where he was legitimately good from 2004-06. He made two All-Star games in the span, only missing it in ‘05, the highlighted season. Interestingly, 2005 also featured his lowest single-season ERA as a Met, and his 3.67 FIP was the only time it was below four. While he’ll always be remembered as a Brave, and rightfully so, he did have a handful of good years with a team that was usually his division rival.

Honorable Mentions: John Franco, 2000

40: Moises Alou, 2007

We’re onto the final stretch. Five more ages, and here we’re really getting to some of the advanced ages. Kicking it off is age-40, which was actually surprisingly competitive. Rickey Henderson’s 1999 season gave it a serious push, but in the end, Alou’s 2007 takes the cake — despite playing in 34 fewer games than Henderson. Over 87 games and 360 plate appearances, Alou hit .341/.392/.524. That’s a .916 OPS at age 40, which is just insane. 

Since integration, Alou has the highest single-season batting average in MLB in an age-40 season or older (Henderson in ‘99 is No. 7). Under the same criteria, Alou ranks No. 8 in OPS and No. 11 in OPS+. Another crazy stat? In his 360 plate appearances, he only struck out 30 times. That alone is just a crazy ratio, but it’s even more impressive for someone who’s in his 40s. He hit 13 home runs, 19 doubles and even one triple. Oh, and he also had a casual 30-game hitting streak at age FOURTY (ok I think you get the point, he was old), a streak that remains a Mets record to this day. This is truly one of the most impressive, under-the-radar seasons in Mets history, even if it was only over 87 games.

Honorable Mentions: Rickey Henderson 1999, Roberto Hernandez 2005, Tom Glavine 2006

41: Orlando Hernandez, 2007

Alou wasn’t the only 40-plus year old the Mets got a strong season from in 2007. On the bump, the Mets got one more season out of El Duque, in what ended up being the last time he would pitch in the big leagues. Over 147.2 innings pitched, Hernandez put up a 3.72 ERA and 116 ERA+, both really respectable numbers. 

That ERA also doesn’t really represent the level he pitched at for most of the year, as he finished August with an ERA of 3.32. However, he got rocked in his first start in September, giving up 8 earned runs in three innings to seriously inflate his ERA. He didn't start another game after that, appearing three more times as a reliever down the stretch as the Mets would go on to blow the division lead they brought into final month of the season. This is also the final time the 2007 season will appear on this list, with Hernandez and Alou joining Wright’s 30-30 season at age-24 to form a nice trio. Its three appearances are actually tied for the most on this list, joining the 2006 season.

Honorable Mentions: Willie Mays 1972, Tom Glavine 2007

42: Bartolo Colon, 2015

Most people reading this (if you got this far), probably expected Colon to pop up eventually. Only a small number of baseball players remain productive in their late 30s, much less early 40s. In fact, Colon is the only player in Mets history to pitch at least 50 innings in his age-42 season, and there’s only one position player to play at least 50 games. Therefore, Colon basically wins this age by default. He didn’t have a great year by any means. After putting up a 4.09 ERA and 84 ERA+ in 2014, his first season with the team, he followed that up with a relatively similar 4.16 ERA and 91 ERA+. Nothing spectacular, but he did eat up innings, throwing 202.1 in ‘04 and 194.2 in ‘05. That has value.

What sets his ‘05 season apart is his postseason performance. The Mets made a run to the World Series, and Colon was an integral piece. The Mets ran with a four-man rotation of Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, so Colon was actually pushed into the bullpen — and he excelled. His first appearance was his worst, as he allowed a fielder's choice to Howie Kendrick, came out of the game after just that one batter and ultimately gave up an earned run. Or, let me phrase it like this: He induced a potential inning-ending double play, but Chase Utley ended up breaking Ruben Tejada’s leg with a “slide” so dirty it prompted a rule change in the offseason.

Yup. That was Colon’s first appearance in the postseason. So yes, he was charged with an earned run, but realistically, it wasn’t on him. The rest of the way, he would give up just one earned run in 8.2 innings pitched, spread out over six more appearances. He did give up one other run, a walk-off sacrifice fly for the Royals in Game 1 of the World Series. While he didn’t pitch particularly well in that appearance, the runner was only on base because of an error by Wright to begin the inning. There’s certainly a chance the Royals would have won anyway even if the error didn’t occur, but it’s impossible to know for sure. At the end of the day, it’s an unearned run on Colon. Sure, he could have been better, but overall, he pitched some really big innings for the Mets in 2015 … even if his overall line for the season isn’t as sexy as he is.

Honorable Mentions: John Franco 2003

43: Bartolo Colon, 2016

The 2015 season was solid, but 2016 was really Colon’s signature year in Queens. Over 191.2 innings, Big Sexy put up a 3.43 ERA and 117 ERA+, which were both without a doubt his best in a Mets uniform. Colon also made the All-Star game that year, his fourth and final in his 21 year MLB career. He was a true workhorse, especially in today’s day and age. Since 2000, Colon is one of only four Mets pitchers to have at least three seasons of 190-plus innings pitched, joining deGrom, Tom Glavine and Mike Pelfrey. Oh, and there was one other thing that happened in 2016.

He hit a home run. Colon, who over three years with the Mets hit .083/.093/.122 with a minus-40 OPS+, somehow managed to smack a James Shields 90 mph meatball well over the Petco Park wall on May 7, 2016. That’s the same James Shields who the Padres traded to the White Sox on June 4 of the same year in exchange for FERNANDO TATIS JR. The Chicago White Sox saw Sheilds give up a home run to Colon, and less than a month later thought it would be a good idea to give away Tatis (who was in the minors at the time) in order to get him. Just an absurd footnote on Colon’s legendary home run. So yes, while Big Sexy’s pitching in 2016 was very good in its own right, his home run is what really puts this season in the history books — for many reasons.

Honorable Mentions: None

47-48: Julio Franco, 2006-07

It’s a little bit of a jump from age-43 to age-47 and age-48, but that’s just how ridiculous Julio Franco was. It’s also the only combined age range on this list because he didn’t play a ton in either season, so two separate blurbs really aren’t needed. Franco wasn’t great in either season, but his ‘06 season was definitely the better of the two. In 95 games and 197 plate appearances, Franco hit .273/.330/.370, which was nothing spectacular, but very impressive for a 47-year old. He followed that up in 2007 with a .200/.328/.260 line over 40 games and 61 plate appearances before the Mets released him in mid-July.

Most notably though, Franco hit three home runs in his tenure with the Mets. The first home run at the time set the record for the oldest MLB player to hit a home run. Each time he hit a home run after that, once more in 2007 and then one final time in 2008, he broke his own record and set a new mark. His record would stand until 2021 when Major League Baseball officially acknowledged the Negro Leagues as major leagues, and per Baseball-Reference, the record was retroactively given to Jud Wilson of the Homestead Grays, who hit a home run at age-49 in 1945. After the acknowledgment, it placed Franco as the second-oldest player in MLB history to ever hit a home run, which is nonetheless still very impressive. It’s a feat that in all likelihood, we may never see again.

Honorable Mentions: None

And that’s it! The best season by a Mets player at every single age.

Here’s a quick recap in case you forgot: Dwight Gooden 1984 (age-19), Dwight Gooden 1985 (20), Dwight Gooden 1986 (21), Jon Matlack 1972 (22), Tom Seaver 1968 (23), David Wright 2007 (24), Jerry Koosman 1968 (25), Tom Seaver 1971 (26), Todd Hundley 1996 (27), Tom Seaver 1973 (28), Carlos Beltran 2006 (29), Jacob deGrom 2018 (30), Jacob deGrom 2019 (31), Keith Hernandez 1986 (32), Pedro Martinez 2005 (33), Carlos Delgado 2006 (34), R.A. Dickey 2010 (35), Carlos Delgado 2008 (36), R.A. Dickey 2012 (37), Al Leiter 2004 (38), Tom Glavine 2005 (39), Moises Alou 2007 (40), Orlando Hernandez 2007 (41), Bartolo Colon 2015 (42), Bartolo Colon 2016 (43) and last but not least, Julio Franco 2006-07 (47-48).

Agree? Disagree? For a lot of the ages, it’s all relative. Some are no-brainers — like Doc’s 1985 season. Others are much more subjective. Either way, hopefully this provided a good representation of some of the best and most memorable seasons in Mets history.