Steve Cohen may not be done yet.

During a broadcast of Mets Hot Stove on SNY, Andy Martino said the Mets have about $10 million left to spend. 

“What the priority is within that is the relief pitching, they will bolster the bullpen before spring training or early on in spring training, while the offseason business is still going on,” Martino said. 

Making additions to the lineup is less than a priority, he added. Martino noted with the number the Mets are aiming for, it would be difficult to sign the likes of J.D. Martinez or Justin Turner. However, he did say that Cohen “is always willing to stretch for the right opportunity.”

Steve Cohen. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News 

The Mets have been linked to lefty relievers Brent Suter and Wandy Peralta, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Read more here. 

Starling Marte played the entire game in right field for the first time during the winter season last night. He went 0-for-4. 

Former Mets pitcher Anthony Kay signed with the Yokohama BayStars, per Sponichiyakuu on Twitter. 

Latest MLB News

Japanese pitcher Shōta Imanaga is signing with the Chicago Cubs, according to Bob Nightengale. Read more on the deal here.

Rachel Balkovec has agreed to become the new Marlins director of player development, according to MLB.com.  

The National Sports Media Association announced its 2024 Hall of Fame class and 2023 award winners. 

The Mississippi Braves announced Double-A affiliate will relocate to Columbus, Georgia, moving from Pearl. 

Shohei Ohtani’s landmark $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers has prompted the California Controller to congress cap deferred payments, per reporting from the Associated Press. 

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has determined it will not file felony charges against former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. The case is moving to the City Attorney’s Office for misdemeanor filing considerations. 

MLB Network’s top 10 rankings at each position opening with starting pitchers. 

Latest on MMO 

Patrick Glynn wrote about the state of the Mets’ starting pitching depth. 

Episode 69 of Metsmerized Weekly discusses the additions of Harrison Bader and Sean Manaea, as well as a number of other topics. 

On this Date in Mets History

2006: Mike Pelfrey, the ninth pick in 2005 MLB draft, signed a four-year major league contract with the Mets worth $5.3 million and $3.5 million with a signing bonus.

Birthdays: Kevin Baez (57), Mario Diaz (62), Jim Lindeman (62), Kelvin Torve (64)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Reportedly Have About $10 Million Left to Spend appeared first on Metsmerized.

On June 27, 2008, the Mets and Yankees played a split-stadium doubleheader, necessitated by a rainout earlier in the season (May 16) in the Bronx. Game one was the makeup of the rainout, and took place at Yankee Stadium. In that game, Mets’ first baseman Carlos Delgado had a day for the history books.

Delgado set the Mets’ team record for RBIs in a game with nine, in support of the Mets’ 15-6 victory over the Yankees. The native of Puerto Rico had a double and two home runs, one of which was a three-run home run and the other was a grand slam.

The Mets had scratched a run ins the top of the first inning on a David Wright RBI single, but the Yankees tied the game in their half of the first inning on a Jason Giambi single off Mets’ starter Mike Pelfrey. The game remained tied until the third inning, when Carlos Beltran belted a two-run home run to put the Mets ahead by a 3-1 score. Pelfry could not hold the lead, as the Yankees grabbed a 4-3 advantage in their half of the third inning.

From that point, the game became the Delgado show. In the top of the fifth, Beltran drove in the tying run on a fielder’s choice. Delgado then doubled in Beltran and Luis Castillo, who had walked. The Mets held a 6-4 lead, but Delgado was just getting started.

After the Mets had plated a run ins the top of the sixth, Delgado stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded. He proceeded to take Yankees’ pitcher Ross Ohlendorf out of the yard for a grand slam. The Mets now led 11-4, but their first baseman (who served as the designated hitter in this game) was not quite done for the day.

With the Mets leading 11-5 in the top of the eighth inning, David Wright drove in a run to give Mets an even dozen runs on the day. One out later, Delgado took his turn at bat with runners on the corners, facing Yankees’ pitcher (and future Met) LaTroy Hawkins. Delgado drove a three-run home run into the right field bleachers, that were occupied solely by Mets fans at this point. With his day complete, Delgado now had driven in nine runs, surpassing Dave Kingman who had held the club record for RBIs in a single game.

Delgado spent four years in Flushing, posting a slash line of .267/.351/.506. He hit 104 home runs as Met, and 473 over his 17-year career with the Blue Jays, Marlins, and Mets. His career slash line is .280/.383/.546.

The Mets would lose the nightcap of the two-borough doubleheader on that  June Friday night thirteen years ago. However, they had quite a time in the Bronx that afternoon, led by a record-breaking performance courtesy of Carlos Delgado.

The post OTD in 2008: Carlos Delgado Drives In Nine As Mets Beat Yankees appeared first on Metsmerized.

There are times when it’s tough to be a Mets fan. Perhaps you remember when the Mets held a commanding seven-game lead with 17 games to play in 2007, and then collapsed to their rival from down the Turnpike.

Or perhaps you recall 2008, when the Amazin’s held a 3.5 game lead in September with only 17 games to play, before becoming the first team ever to blow a 3.5-game lead in consecutive Septembers. Those heartbreaking collapses only heightened the disdain Mets fans held for those Phillies teams that featured Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

However a few years later, there was one series that was particularly special for Mets fans, in the midst of an otherwise uneventful season. During a three game-set against the Philadelphia Phillies, the 2010 Mets got revenge and made history in the process.

For just the second time since the franchise’s inception, the Mets swept a series by pitching three-straight shutouts. The first time this took place was in 1969, when Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver and Gary Gentry blanked the Phillies in Philadelphia down the stretch.

After years of struggling against their division rivals, the Mets vindication against the Phillies began on May 25. In just his second start with the Mets, R.A. Dickey led a whitewashing of the Phils at Citi Field. Dickey threw six scoreless innings, while the Mets scored eight runs to even their record for the season at 23 – 23.  The victory was Dickey’s first win for the Mets.

Omar Minaya’s reclamation project would finish that season 11 – 9 with a 2.84 ERA. Two years later, Dickey would win the Cy Young Award, going 20 – 6 with a 2.73 ERA, leading the league in innings pitched (233.2), complete games (5), shut outs (3), and strikeouts (230). He was then traded the following off season to the Blue Jays with Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas in exchange for John Buck, Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, and minor leaguer Wuilmer Becerra.

In the second game of the series, rookie sensation Hisanori Takahashi started for the Mets and blanked Philadelphia for six innings, striking out six without issuing a single walk. Takahashi served Mets manager Jerry Manuel as a swing man in 2010, finishing 10 – 6 with a 3.61 ERA and eight saves. The Mets won the game 5 – 0, behind the three RBIs provided by catcher Rod Barajas, and Jose Reyes‘ home run and two RBIs.

In the series finale, the Mets finished their sweep, behind the starting pitching efforts of Mike Pelfry, who pitched seven shutout innings to improve his record to 7 – 1 to start the season.  Pelfrey had the best year of his career in 2010, finishing 15 – 10 with a 3.66 ERA. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth inning for the Mets to record his ninth save of the season and push the Mets to two games above .500.

The three-game sweep was the high-water mark for the Mets in 2010. They went on to finish 79 – 83, in fourth place, 18 games behind the Phillies. Minaya and Manuel both got fired after the season and were replaced by Sandy Alderson, and Terry Collins. That duo would ultimately help lead the Mets to the 2015 World Series.

The post Amazin’ Memories: Mets Blank Phillies in Series of Shutouts appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Here is what you missed on another Saturday without baseball.

Latest Mets News

Brandon Nimmo had fun playing Call of Duty with some fellow athletes.

As the coronavirus continues to delay baseball, Amed Rosario‘s future becomes more uncertain.

Latest MLB News

MLB shared their proposed health and safety protocols for the 2020 season in order to avoid any spread of the Coronavirus.

Former Houston Astros star and manager Art Howe gives updates on his battle against the Coronavirus.

Uninterrupted, NBA  star Lebron James’ sports media company, is set to produce docuseries on the Houston Astros cheating scandal.

Latest on MMO

Sal Manzo writes about the league’s new detailed health and safety protocols for the 2020 season.

Michelle Ioannou shares her and other writers’ favorite piece of Mets memorabilia.

On This Day in Mets History

2009: Mike Pelfrey became the first pitcher in 15 years to commit three balks in one game.

Birthdays: Dick Smith (81),

Stay safe, and Let’s Go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: MLB Reveals Safety Protocols For Shortened Season appeared first on Metsmerized.

Amed Rosario is the Mets’ best prospect, according to Baseball America. He even graced the magazine’s cover recently, so there is little doubt that he will be the most watched minor leaguer in Port St. Lucie this spring. Well, aside from Tim Tebow.

But if history is any indicator, that might not be a good thing for Rosario or the Mets. Baseball America has long kept a list of the top prospects of each organization. Only four of these players became All-Stars with the Mets. Since there’s nothing going on with the team right now besides bloggers speculating about Jay Bruce, let’s take a look at the last quarter-century of Baseball America’s top Mets prospects, and see how they panned out.

2016- Steven Matz–  The book is still out on Matz, but a 3.16 ERA in 28 career starts is pretty encouraging.

2014-15- Noah Syndergaard: The crown jewel of the R.A. Dickey trade has quickly become the biggest star of the Mets’ young guns in the rotation. And that’s only partially due to his spot-on Twitter game.

2012-13- Zack Wheeler: It’s crazy to think that just three years ago at this time, Wheeler was considered to be the best of the Mets’ pitching prospects. He showed potential when he pitched, averaging 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2014. It’s too bad he hasn’t pitched since due to an extended recovery from Tommy John surgery.

2010-11- Jenrry Mejia– The Mets called up Mejia at just 20 years old in 2010, and after a couple of starts it was abundantly clear that he wasn’t ready. Injuries, poor play and– ultimately– several PED suspensions kept him away from the field. He ended up making history, but not the kind you want to make: He became the first-ever player to get banned by MLB for life due to PEDs, after failing his third positive test last year.

2008-09- Fernando Martinez– Remember when it was the biggest deal that the Mets got Johan Santana without having to trade Fernando Martinez?

Martinez was hyped up for years, but he never panned out in the majors. He played in just 47 games with the Mets from 2009-11, batting .183/.250/.290 with a 46 OPS+. In hindsight, they probably should have traded him

2007- Mike Pelfrey– “Big Pelf” was drafted ninth overall in 2005, and was thrust right into the major leagues the next season. He was wildly inconsistent with the Mets; check out his stat lines from 2007-2011:

2007: 3-8, 5.57 ERA

2008: 13-11, 3.72 ERA

2009: 10-12, 5.03 ERA

2010: 15-9, 3.66 ERA

2011: 7-13, 4.74 ERA

His career with the Mets ended in 2012 after a season-ending elbow injury suffered in his third start of the season.

2005-06- Lastings Milledge– Another high draft pick, Milledge was drafted 12th overall out of high school in 2003. He reached as high as No. 9 overall on Baseball America’s top prospects list, and was immediately billed as a five-tool prospect.

But Milledge’s potential never really translated in the major leagues; he played 56 games for the Mets in 2006 and 59 in 2007 before being traded to the Nats for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. He was out of the majors for good by 2011.

2004- Scott Kazmir– Kazmir has won 108 games and made three All-Star appearances over his 12 years in the big leagues. But he never pitched for the Mets, obviously, thanks to one of the worst trades in team history in which the team traded him for journeyman pitcher Victor Zambrano in 2004.

2003- Jose Reyes– This one worked out, to say the least.

2002- Aaron Heilman– Heilman is obviously remembered for his worst moments– most notably letting up Yadier Molina‘s home run in the 2006 NLCS and countless blown holds and saves in big games during the following years. But he actually had some decent seasons as a reliever with the Mets: He posted a 3.27 ERA and 130 ERA+ from 2005-2007. Too bad nobody’s going to remember that.

1999-2001- Alex Escobar– Escobar is another guy who Mets fans were told minor league legends of for years. He’s the only player to take the No. 1 title three times, but Escobar’s MLB career was pretty forgettable– he played just 18 games for the Mets, all in 2001.

1998- Grant Roberts– Roberts is best remembered being caught in a scandal when pictures of him smoking pot surfaced in 2002. His career went up in smoke soon after that; the Mets released him in 2004, leaving him with a 4.25 ERA in 76 career outings.

1997- Jay Payton– Payton’s rookie year with the Mets in 2000 helped catapult them to the World Series, as he batted .291/.331/.447 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs. He went on to have a sold decade-plus long career in the majors.

1996- Paul Wilson– Wilson was drafted No. 1 overall in 1994 and was the poster-child for the “Generation K” trio of Mets prospects, along with Bill Pulsipher and Jason Isringhausen. None of the three accomplished much with the Mets, and only Isringhausen accomplished much at all during his MLB career. Wilson went 5-12 with a 5.38 ERA for the Mets in 1996, which was the only season he spent in the majors with them. He was eventually traded, along with Jason Tyner, to the Rays in the 2000 trade that bought Bubba Trammell and Rick White to the Mets.

1994-1995- Bill Pulsipher– Much like Wilson, Pulsipher entered the majors with much hype but left with little fanfare. He made just 46 big-league starts from 1995-2005.

1993- Bobby Jones– Jones was a staple on Mets teams of the 90s, and was one of the few players from the early-90s doldrums to play for the 1999 and 2000 playoff teams. He went 74-56 with the Mets from 1993-2000, and was named an All-Star in 1997.

1992- Todd Hundley– Hundley is often forgotten because of the guy who became the team’s starting catcher after him. But he put together some very solid seasons for the Mets, namely when he set a single-season club record with 41 home runs in 1996.

So if you’re keeping count at home, just one player on this list turned out to be a long-term star for the Mets: Jose Reyes, although Syndergaard, Matz, and even Wheeler could join him in that category someday. Ten of the 17 players on here did go on to have at least a somewhat productive big-league career: Hundley, Jones, Payton, Heilman (though I cringe putting him in this category), Reyes, Kazmir Pelfrey, Wheeler, Matz and Syndergaard.

Moral of this list: Amed Rosario, no matter what the experts are saying about him, is far from a sure thing.

The post A History of Mets No. 1 Overall Prospects appeared first on Metsmerized.

Steven Matz leads all rookie pitchers in wins, strikeouts, walks per nine, and WAR, clearly an early front runner for National League Rookie of the Year. In the American League, another starting pitcher looks to make his case for the award, and is a familiar name for most Met fans.

Michael Fulmer, 23, one of the arms dealt to the Detroit Tigers last season for Yoenis Cespedes, is having a very good start to his rookie campaign. Since making his Major League debut on April 29th, Fulmer has gone 5-1 with a 3.24 earned run average in seven starts. Fulmer boasts an arsenal of four pitches, four-seam and two-seam fastballs, change-up, and a slider. The hard throwing right-hander sits in the low to mid nineties with his fastball, averaging 95.08 on his two-seam fastball, almost three miles per hour faster then the MLB average.

Taking a look at the rookie starting pitcher league leaders, Fulmer is currently ranked second in wins behind Matz with five, third in strikeouts per nine (9.50), fourth in earned run average (3.24), fourth in swinging strike percentage (11.0%), and fifth in WAR (0.7). And remember, Fulmer didn’t make his debut until the end of April, so he’s two to three starts behind guys like Matz and Kenta Maeda.

Fulmer has been getting progressively stronger in his most recent outings, going at least seven innings in his last three starts against the Rays, Athletics, and Angels. His most recent performance on June 1st was exceptionally strong, throwing a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Angels on the road. His final line for the day was 7 2/3 innings, giving up two hits, walking two, and striking out eight, including a pair against All-Star Mike Trout, and one against pinch-hitter Albert Pujols.

Fulmer currently has a scoreless innings streak of 16.1 innings, and he’s only the second Tigers pitcher in history to have back to back starts with seven or more shutout innings, the last was Mickey Lolich back in 1968.

Fulmer’s success shouldn’t come as a surprise to Mets fans, as he was highly regarded during his tenure with the club. Especially last season, when Fulmer was named the Double-A Eastern League pitcher of the year, and put up tremendous numbers in Double A Binghamton, going 6-2 in 15 starts with a minuscule 1.88 earned run average, and a 1.12 WHIP. When the Mets were looking to upgrade with a power bat before the trade deadline, Fulmer’s name came up with Detroit, who were looking to add prospects and concede that their season was over.

Fulmer finished out the 2015 season with Detroit’s Double A affiliate the Erie Seawolves, and went 4-1 in six starts, with a 2.84 earned run average, and averaged more than a strikeout-per-inning. He made three starts in their Triple A affiliate this year before getting the call in late April for the injured Shane Greene.

Fulmer already has a big fan in his teammate and former Cy Young award winner, Justin Verlander.

“I liked his mentality on the mound,” Verlander said. “He’s not scared and I love his stuff. He pitches, attacks guys, and I think he’s got a chance to be an excellent pitcher at the big league level.” (Detroit Free Press)

Fulmer has emerged as the Tigers number three starter, after Anibal Sanchez was demoted from the rotation and another former Met, Mike Pelfrey, continues to struggle with a near 5.00 earned run average and a 1.77 WHIP. Manager Brad Ausmus has been so impressed by Fulmer and his poise on the mound, he likened his mentality to that of a young Roy Oswalt.

“He’s not afraid of (guys) stepping into the batter’s box,” Ausmus said. “The environment doesn’t seem to bother him. I think it’s his makeup. He’s got good stuff.”

While Fulmer is having a breakout rookie performance with the Tigers, this is a trade the GM Sandy Alderson would make again and again, after witnessing what Yoenis Cespedes can do for a team and its lineup.

Cespedes is currently on pace for his best statistical season yet, and has been one of the more consistent contributors to the Mets lineup this year. This might turn out to be a rare trade where both sides got a good return. I’m sure I speak for most of us when I wish Michael success in his big league career.

The post Michael Fulmer Making Most Of Opportunity appeared first on Metsmerized.

Bartolo Colon and Steven Matz will make their spring debuts on Monday as the New York Mets play a pair of split squad games this afternoon.

Colon will pitch in Port St. Lucie against former Met Mike Pelfrey and the Detroit Tigers at 1:10 PM.

Steven Matz will take the mound against Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals in Jupiter at 1:05 PM.

Mets at Cardinals (WOR, MLB.tv)

1. Dilson Herrera, 2B
2. Ruben Tejada, 3B
3. Michael Conforto, LF
4. Kevin Plawecki, C
5. Marc Krauss, 1B
6. Matt Reynolds, SS
7. Daniel Muno, DH
8. Travis Taijeron, RF
9. Ty Kelly, CF

Mets vs Tigers (SNY)

1. Alejandro De Aza, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes, DH
4. Lucas Duda, 1B
5. Neil Walker, 2B
6. Wilmer Flores, 3B
7. Travis d’Arnaud, C
8. Eric Campbell, LF
9. Wuilmer Becerra, RF

Enjoy the games and Let’s Go Mets!

The post Game Thread: Mets vs Tigers 1:10 PM, Mets at Cardinals 1:05 PM (Let’s Play Two!) appeared first on Metsmerized.

10. Jonathon Niese – .167 batting average – 35 hits with 2 doubles, 1 triple and 10 RBI. He also has 22 walks and a .246 OBP.

9. Tug McGraw – .172 batting average as a Met – in the Orange and Blue, Tug had 27 hits with 6 doubles, 1 HR and 15 RBI with a .216 OBP.

8. Rick Reed – .173 batting average as a Met. He had 44 hits with 8 doubles, 2 HR and 21 RBI, and a .201 OBP.

7. R.A. Dickey – .176 average as a Met. He had 32 hits with 2 doubles and 10 RBI to go with a .198 OBP.

6. Tom Glavine – .189 as a Met. 53 Mets hits with 5 doubles, 20 RBI and a .265 OBP.

5. Sid Fernandez – .190 as a Met. 94 Mets hits with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 31 RBI and a .211 OBP.

4. Dwight Gooden – .197 as a Met. 144 Mets hits with 15 doubles, 5 triples, 7 HR, 65 RBI and a .213 OBP.

3. Rick Aguilera – .203 as a Met. 28 Mets hits with 3 doubles, 3 HR, 11 RBI and a .236 OBP.

2. Jay Hook – .209 as a Met. 23 Mets hits with 1 double, 6 RBI and a .273 OBP.

1. Ray Sadecki – .213 as a Met. 34 hits as a Met with 2 doubles, 9 RBI and a .236 OBP.

On the flip side, who are the pitchers with the lowest batting averages in Mets history?

10. Mike Scott – .100 as a Met. 11 Mets hits with 4 doubles, 5 RBI and 52 K’s in 110 AB.

9. Pat Zachry – .099 as a Met. 22 Mets hits with 4 RBI and 89 K’s in 223 AB.

7. Mike Pelfrey – .098 as a Met. 26 hits with 5 doubles, 12 RBI and 70 K’s in 264 AB.

7. Jim McAndrew – .098 as a Met. 19 Mets hits with 6 doubles, 9 RBI and 82 K’s in 194 AB.

6. John Maine – .096 as a Met. 16 Mets hits with 1 double, 1 HR, 8 RBI and 84 K’s in 166 AB.

5. Gary Gentry – .090 as a Met. 20 Mets hits with 4 doubles, 9 RBI and 155 K’s in 249 AB.

4. Al Leiter – .084 as a Met. 33 Mets hits with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 14 RBI and 208 K’s in 394 AB.

3. Roger Craig – .069 as a Met. 10 Mets hits with 2 RBI with 72 K’s in 145 AB.

2. Glendon Rusch – .058 as a Met. 6 Mets hits with 6 RBI and 42 K’s in 104 AB.

1. Mark Clark – .045 as a Met. 5 Mets hits with 1 double, 1 HR, 4 RBI and 45 K’s in 112 AB.

The post The Best and Worst Hitting Pitchers in Mets History appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets have re-signed starting pitcher Jeremy Hefner, reports Anthony DiComo.

The deal is for a minor-league contract and will allow the Mets to retain control of Hefner at a reduced salary while he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.

Hefner will likely miss a good portion if not all of 2014.

Great move though, nice to see Hefner back…

Original Post

Jeremy Hefner being non-tendered doesn’t sit too well with me.  It has nothing to do with performance.  It’s the human element.

I know it’s hard to feel bad for someone who had a half-million dollar a year salary, but of the five players that were non-tendered by the team on Monday, Jeremy’s cut is the one that stings the most.

Justin Turner, Scott Atchison, and Omar Quintanilla were arbitration eligible and are of sound mind and body to be able to seek gainful employment in 2014.  Jordany Valdespin… well, what’s there not to say about Jordany. He needed to go.  He can be “The Man” somewhere else… if anyone will have him.

But then there’s Jeremy.

Had he been a veteran player who had already made his fortune in the game when he hurt his arm and was facing a year of unemployment – I wouldn’t feel bad.  I didn’t feel bad when the Mets non-tendered Mike Pelfrey – he had already made more than $14 million in the game.  But Jeremy?  He’s a pre-arbitration eligible player that played in the majors in 2012 and 2013 with just under two years of major league service time.

So what? Injuries happen all the time, right?

Here’s where the bleeding heart liberal in me kicks in.  Hmmm… he got hurt on the job.  So rather than keep him in the fold and pay him the minimum wage when he’s rehabbing the injury he suffered while in your employment, you fire his rear end while he’s not in any position to be able to find work.

Now maybe the Mets will sign him to a minor league contract for 2014 so they can keep a close eye on his rehab to see what he has for 2015.  Even if they throw him a bone and do that, i’m sure it wouldn’t be at a major league salary – so he’d be getting a pay cut for getting hurt on the job.  Oh, and because he’d be re-signed on a minor league contract – he’s not racking up the major league service time.

Maybe another team will look to sign him to a minor league deal so they can have him in their fold for when he’s ready to return to live action in 2015.  Maybe he’ll even get another team to sign him to a major league contract for next year so they have him under control going forward.  Or maybe he won’t get another shot because a whole new round of hungry youngsters moved up the ladder while he was away.  Regardless, it just doesn’t sit well…

The post Mets Bring Back Jeremy Hefner appeared first on Metsmerized.

Since we’ve already covered the 10 best and worst offenses since 1980, and the 10 best pitching staffs since 1980, it’s only fitting that we take a look at the 10 worst pitching staffs since 1980.  While the mid-to-late 80s and into the early 90s were the renaissance of Mets pitching, all of the bottom 10 performances have been after 1992.

Ten Most Runs Allowed Since 1980

1)    1996 – 779 runs – 4.81/game

2)    2009 – 757 runs – 4.67/game

3)    2003 – 754 runs – 4.68/game

4)    1994 – 754 runs* – 4.65/game

5)    2007 – 750 runs – 4.63/game

6)    1993 – 744 runs – 4.59/game

7)    2011 – 742 runs – 4.58/game

8)    2000 – 738 runs – 4.56/game

9)    2006 – 731 runs – 4.51/game

10)   2004 – 731 runs – 4.51/game

*The 1994 season was cut short by the player strike.  The Mets only played 113 games, allowing 526 runs.  Over a 162 game schedule, this is prorated to 754 runs.

Right after the eight year stretch of 1985-1992 which saw 7 of the 10 best 10 pitching squads since the 80s, the following 4 years immediately thereafter saw 3 of the worst 4.  The National League championship squad was among the bottom 10, but that team was also among the top 10 in runs scored.

So who were the starting rotations on these bottom 10 squads? (the top 5 starters in terms of games started are listed – in 1993/1994, two pitchers were tied in the #5 spot).  Before passing any blanket judgments on these rotations for being in the bottom 10 – let’s remember that after the 80s we saw the rise of the middle relief pitcher where the bullpen began eating up more innings (and along with it, middle relievers that may not have been in the major leagues in years past).  This top 10 list is comprised of the collective staffs of the teams that allowed the most runs.

1993 – Dwight Gooden, Frank Tanana, Eric Hillman, Bret Saberhagen, Sid Fernandez/Pete Schourek

1994 – Bret Saberhagen, Bobby Jones, Pete Smith, Mike Remlinger, Jason Jacome/Mauro Gozzo

1996 – Mark Clark, Bobby Jones, Pete Harnisch, Jason Isringhausen, Paul Wilson

2000 – Mike Hampton, Al Leiter, Glendon Rusch, Rick Reed, Bobby Jones

2003 – Steve Trachsel, Jae Weong Seo, Tom Glavine, Al Leiter, Aaron Heilman

2004 – Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, Al Leiter, Jae Weong Seo, Matt Ginter

2006 – Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine

2007 – Tom Glavine, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Orlando Hernandez, Mike Pelfrey

2009 – Mike Pelfrey, Johan Santana, Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding, John Maine

2011 – R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, Chris Capuano, Dillon Gee, Jon Niese

The post The 10 Worst Mets Pitching Staffs Since 1980 appeared first on Metsmerized.