Taking A Look At Mets’ 100 Win Seasons

On October 4, in the second game of a doubleheader on a cold, wet, and dreary night at Citi Field, the 2022 New York Mets did something the organization had done just three other times in its 61-year history, win 100 games in a season. The achievement was bittersweet, as earlier that night, the Mets had been eliminated from first-place contention in the National League’s eastern division. Manager Buck Showalter‘s crew would finish the 2022 campaign with 101 wins and a wildcard entry into the postseason.

Winning 100 games is the mark of a good season, and the Mets certainly had a solid 2022 season. In just the second year of Steve Cohen’s ownership and the first year under Showalter, the Mets increased their win total by 24 games and will begin postseason play on October 7 with an opportunity for a championship. Regular seasons like the one that just ended are rare in Metsville. Let’s take a look back at the three other 100-win seasons in franchise history.

1969

We all know the ending (the anniversary of the World Series championship comes up on October 16). The 1969 season is made most remarkable by how it began. From the team’s first season in 1962 through 1968, the Mets had never won more than 73 games, achieving that high-water mark in 1968. In the seven seasons before 1969, the Mets had lost 100 or more games five times. Manager Gil Hodges was in his second season at the helm in 1969, and some of the elements of building a contender had started to come together around the time of his arrival.

The Mets had pitchers Tom Seaver (1967 Rookie of the Year), Jerry Koosman in his third year, and fireballer Nolan Ryan. Their lineup featured Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee. They played solid defense, led by shortstop Bud Harrelson and catcher Jerry Grote. General manager Johnny Murphy had an outstanding trading deadline, netting slugging first baseman Donn Clendenon to add a needed power bat.

The Mets swept the Braves (how ironic) in the first-ever National League Championship Series (it was a best-of-five series), then went on to take down future Mets general manager Frank Cashen’s Baltimore Orioles in five games to bring the hardware to Flushing. The year of 1969 featured the first time man stepped on the moon and Woodstock. Why not add the World Champion New York Mets to the list of wild events that year? The Mets did not appear in the postseason again until 1973 when they did so in rather improbable fashion.

1986

The Mets won 108 games in 1986, which remains the franchise’s highest season win total. The 108 wins were essentially expected by the fan base, after a 1985 season in which the Mets won 98 games, falling just short of a postseason opportunity. From day one through game 162, the Mets were clearly the best team in baseball, and the fans walked around with their chests bowed all summer as the wins piled up.

How could a team that featured Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry, Gary Carter, Ray Knight, Mookie Wilson, Dwight Gooden,  Bob Ojeda, and Ron Darling not win the World Series? After all, they had made a mockery of the regular season, beating and beating up their competition. Well, it wasn’t quite that easy.

The Houston Astros gave the Mets fits in the NLCS, and a tired Mets team fell behind two games to none to a talented Boston Red Sox squad in the World Series. In the end, after much heartache and wild emotional swings, the Mets ended up on top of the baseball world. What was supposed to happen did end up happening, sparing the organization the proverbial egg on its face of dominating all season only to fall short in the end.

After the 1986 season, the expectation was the Mets would have a late-1990s Yankees-like run of three or four championships in five years. That did not happen, and it’s a cautionary tale for 2022. Success one year does not always predict continued success. Things happen, such as injuries, player movement (free agency or trades), and underperformance, despite an organization’s best intentions. During the 1986 ticker-tape parade, Wilson famously said, “1986, year of the Mets, 1987, year of the Mets, 1988, year of the Mets.” It seemed like that had a good shot at manifesting. As we know, it did not.

1988

In 1987, the Mets suffered injuries to all of their starting pitchers, yet still made a valiant run at a division title, only to fall short (once again) to Whitey Herzog‘s St. Louis Cardinals. The feeling was, “okay, the Mets had won a championship the year before, and things were set to return to order in 1988.”

The 1988 team had a bit of a “last chance with this squad” feel to it, as Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter were getting older and nearing the end of their contracts. With Strawberry (39 HR, 101 RBIs) and Kevin McReynolds (27 HR, 99 RBIs) having solid seasons, and the emergence of pitcher David Cone (20-3) to go along with Gooden (18-9) and Darling (17-9) on the mound, the Mets were once again primed for a run at a title.

The Mets took over first place on May 3, and never looked back, winning 100 games during the 1988 season. They clinched their division on September 22, giving them ample time to rest for the upcoming NLCS against the western division champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets had beaten the Dodgers 10 of 11 games during the season, so confidence was high going into the series.

The results of the NLCS, driven by Orel Hershiser and Mike Scioscia of manager Tommy Lasorda‘s Dodgers, were not what the Mets had hoped for, as the guys in orange and blue went down four games to three. The Mets had won 100 games for the third time in franchise history, only this time, and for the first time when hitting the century mark in wins, they went home empty-handed.

2022

This year, the Mets have won 100+ games for the fourth time, the first time in 34 years. That achievement is in the books and should be a source of pride. Where the Mets go from here may have a big impact on how fondly fans look back on the 2022 season.

The pieces are in place for a deep October run. Pitchers Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Chris Bassitt are ready to go. The bullpen, led by the best closer in baseball, Edwin Díaz, has been pitching well of late. The bats are led by the powerful Pete Alonso, batting champ Jeff McNeil, elite leadoff man Brandon Nimmo, and superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor.

Having been a fan for both, the 1986 and 1988 seasons had some similarities. Both teams dominated during the regular season and won their divisions handily. Expectations were high for both teams. One team achieved its goal, the other did not. Those 100+ win seasons feel very differently all these years later. Finishing the deal matters.

The 2022 New York Mets have the chance to take this from a solid season to an unforgettable one. They need 13 more wins. They’re as good as any team in the game. They can do it. Let’s go, guys. Put this season in the books alongside 1986, where 100 wins weren’t the only achievement.