3 best Mets starting pitchers single season in the 2000s

In the history of the New York Mets, there have been so many players who have put great seasons behind them. We could not forget Doc Gooden's 1986 season, Tom Seaver's 1973 season or R.A. Dickey's great CY Young season in 2012, and Jacob deGrom in 2017 and 2018.

In the 2000s, the Mets went on a roll at the start of the decade with a World Series followed by some disappointing years. Despite having a few stars on the roster, especially that 2006 team, the organization didn't have great pitching seasons at that time, but three of them did well in the decade.

1) Johan Santana had the best single season by a Met starting pitcher in the 2000s

Johan Santana came to Queens via trade for Carlos Gomez and pitching prospects Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey. Two days after this trade, Santana agreed to a six-year, $137.5 million contract on February 1, 2008.

Santana may not have lived up to the level expected of a two-time Cy Young pitcher but he left in the memory of every Mets fan the first no-hitter in team history. For many fans, the Venezuelan pitcher did not turn out to be what was expected after an injury-plagued career in Queens.

However, many fans don't remember the breakout season Santana posted in 2008. He finished that season with a league-leading and career-best ERA of 2.53, games started with 34, innings pitched with 234.1, and batters faced with 964.

These numbers earned him National League Cy Young Award consideration, finishing third in the voting. His 2008 WAR was the third-best of his career at 7.1 and his 166 ERA+ was second-best. Despite losing playing time due to injuries and not living up to expectations, Johan Santana left us with the best season a Mets pitcher has thrown in the 2000s.

2) Pedro Martinez's first year with the Mets was one of the best of his time

Pedro Martinez came to the Mets in 2005 after a formidable career with the Boston Red Sox where he established himself as one of the greatest pitchers of all time in baseball history. Pedro comes to the organization after signing a four-year, $53 million contract during Omar Minaya's tenure as general manager of the Mets.

The hype created around his arrival in Queens was enormous. A pitcher of Martinez's caliber having pitched one of the best careers in history in the steroids era and having won three Cy Young Awards and a World Series title was significant for a team that wanted to switch to a winning culture.

In his first year, he did not disappoint. Pedro finished 2005 with 31 starts where he posted a 2.82 ERA with 208 strikeouts in 217 innings pitched. That same year he was selected to the All-Star Game representing the National League. Martinez's numbers gave him the fifth-highest WAR of his career at 7.0 and his 0.949 WHIP was the best in all of MLB.

Despite having put a few years of low productivity into his contract, Pedro Martinez's 2005 season with the Mets, resulted in the second-best season for a Queen's pitcher in the 2000s.