The longest Mets losing streak in team history

Nothing like a losing streak will question your fandom. The New York Mets didn’t take long to make their fans wonder if this team was worth rooting for. They lost the first 9 games in franchise history. They eventually pulled themselves to a somewhat respectable 12-19 before it all came apart.

It’s no surprise to learn the longest Mets losing streak took place in their inaugural 1962 season. With 120 losses, it’s only natural for the numbers to bear out this way.

The longest Mets losing streak was 17 games in 1962

It began on May 21 with a 3-2 loss versus the Houston Colt .45s. MLB’s other expansion team managed to break a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth. They had no idea they had just put the Mets in a historic slump.

The Mets would lose two to Houston, three to the Los Angeles Dodgers, three more to the San Francisco Giants, another three to the Dodgers, four to the Giants, and two more to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Finally, on June 8, 1962, the streak was snapped at Wrigley Field. Much like their game against the Colt .45s which started off the historic losing streak, the Mets were tied with the Chicago Cubs late. The game had actually been rescheduled from May 9 due to the cold. Although it was Jay Hook who earned the win and Craig Anderson who got the save, Mother Nature deserves a hold for this one.

A leadoff single by Jim Hickman in the top of the ninth got things started. A couple of miscues including an error by the Cubs helped move him around to third base. A flyball off the bat of Charlie Neal would score Hickman and give the Mets the 4-3 lead.

The 1962 Mets challenged or beat multiple franchise and MLB records. There were some challengers later on. Only a year later, the 1963 Mets lost 15 straight. They’d drop 15 in a row again in 1982.