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New York Mets: The franchise all-time bracket

By Bill Felber

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 08: A New York Mets batting helmet in the dugout before a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros at Clover Park on March 8, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets defeated the Astros 3-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 08: A New York Mets batting helmet in the dugout before a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros at Clover Park on March 8, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets defeated the Astros 3-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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Catcher Gary Carter of the New York Mets. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)
Catcher Gary Carter of the New York Mets. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /

New York Mets: The All-Time Bracket

No. 2 vs. 7 seed

The 1969 New York Mets famously trailed the Chicago Cubs all season before finishing 32-10 to sail past them and win the division by eight games. They upended Atlanta in the first NLCS, then stunned the favored Baltimore Orioles in five games in the World Series.

Seaver became an emergent star in 1969. He was 25-7 with a 2.21 ERA in 35 starts, he did not lose after Aug. 5, and he won the Cy Young Award. Koosman added 17 wins and Gary Gentry 13.

Left fielder Cleon Jones and center fielder Tommy Agee were the offensive centerpieces. Jones batted .340 with 75 RBIs, while Agee hit 26 homers and drove in 76. Donn Clendenon added 12 home runs after being acquired from Pittsburgh in mid-season.

The 1985 Mets finished a dominant second to the St. Louis Cardinals, winning 98 games. Hernandez batted .309, Carter drove in  100 runs with 32 homers and Strawberry added 29 home runs.

On the mound, Gooden sailed through a 24-4 season with 268 strikeouts in 277 innings. Darling added a 16-6 record.

Related Story. Arizona Diamondbacks: The all-time bracket. light

Game 1: The 1969 team had a 100-62 record and .617 percentage, beating out 1985 by two games and just 12 percentage points,

Game 2: The 1985 team did not play a post-season game. The 1969 team had a .825 post-season record, which happens to be the best in franchise history.

Game 3: The 1969 Mets only produced an 84 team OPS+, far weaker than 1985’s 99.

Game 4: The 1985 Mets produced a 113 staff ERA+. That’s not good enough, however, to stay with the Seaver-Koosman 1969 team’s 122 ERA+. This series is even at two games.

Game 5: In 1969 the Mets totaled 41.2 WAR. It’s a mediocre number for a champion, and not comparable to 1985’s 50.3

Game 6: The 1985 team fielded .982, three points better than the National League average. In 1969 the Mets fielded .980, also three points better. Carried out to additional digits, the math favors 1969.

Result: 1969 in six games

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