The Mets finished the 1986 regular season 108–54 (.667), the best record in team history and among the Top 30 finishes in MLB history.
With the World Series not too far off, it’s a good time to take a look back at the 1986 New York Mets.
It has been 40 years since the Mets won the World Series, and Mets fans never tire of talking about that ’86 team. Although I was a Yankees fan, I lived only 30 miles from Shea Stadium, so yes, I rooted for the Mets, especially since their opponent was the Red Sox.
After winning the World Series in 1969 and the National League Pennant in 1973, the Mets fell on hard times, posting only two winning seasons between 1974 and 1983. Part of the problem was the Mets’ front office making poor personnel decisions, most notably trading away two future Hall of Fame pitchers, Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver.
Darryl Strawberry (photo courtesy Legends of Sport)
Learning from past mistakes, management began making better decisions in 1983, trading with the Cardinals for Gold Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez. Outfielder Darryl Strawberry, whom the Mets drafted in 1980, also joined the team that year and won the Rookie of the Year Award. At season’s end, Davey Johnson became the Mets’ new manager, and one month later, Mel Stottlemyre became the pitching coach.
In 1984, pitchers Ron Darling and Dwight Gooden made their Major League debuts, with Gooden winning Rookie of the Year. Shortstop Kevin Elster was called up from the Minors in May, and outfielder Kevin Mitchell joined the team in September. Pitcher Sid Fernandez was acquired in a trade with the Dodgers, and infielder Ray Knight was acquired from the Houston Astros. Shortstop Rafael Santana joined the Mets after being released by the Cardinals. The 1984 Mets finished the season with a 90–72 record, the fourth-best in the Majors and their first winning season since 1976.
Joining an already solid pitching staff in 1985 were Rick Aguilera, Randy Myers, and reliever Roger McDowell. Outfielder Lenny Dykstra made his major-league debut in May, and infielder Howard Johnson was acquired in a trade with the Tigers. Future Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Montreal Expos.
Dwight Gooden (photo courtesy NY Daily News)
New York baseball fans had high hopes of seeing a Subway Series as the Mets finished the season 98–64 and the Yankees finished 97–64. But in 1985, each league had only two divisions, and only the first-place teams made the playoffs. The Yankees had the second-best record in the American League but finished two games behind the division-leading Blue Jays. The Mets had the second-best record in the National League but finished three games behind the division-leading Cardinals. Mets fans had high hopes for 1986.
The 1986 Mets were solid at every position, and they added one more pitcher, Bob Ojeda, acquired from the Red Sox in November 1985. The Mets started the 1986 season 2–3, then won 13 consecutive games. They took over first place in their division after only 10 games and held it for the rest of the season. By the end of May, the Mets were 31–12.
Despite Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry missing playing time due to injuries. By the end of June, the Mets were 50–21, 9 ½ games ahead of the second-place Cardinals. By mid-July, the Mets had extended their lead to 13 ½ games.
The All-Star Game was held in Houston on July 15, with Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, and Darryl Strawberry named as starters and Sid Fernandez as a backup.
The night after the All-Star Game, the Mets defeated the Astros 13–2. Later that evening at a Houston nightclub, several Mets players got into an altercation. The altercation made headlines and raised concerns that the Mets might self-destruct because of their penchant for excessive partying. By the end of July, the team had a 15½-game lead in their division and a 66–32 record.
The division race was all but over by mid-August, and the Mets finished the month with an 87–43 record. Despite their huge lead over the second-place Phillies, the Mets didn’t clinch the division title until September 16. They finished the season 108–54, their best record in team history.
Wally Backman finished the season with a .320 batting average, while Keith Hernandez batted .310. Darryl Strawberry hit 27 home runs and drove in 93 runs. Gary Carter drove in 105 runs and hit 24 home runs. Lenny Dykstra led the team with 31 stolen bases.
Dwight Gooden went 17–6 with a 2.84 ERA. Sid Fernandez went 16–6 with a 3.52 ERA. Both he and Gooden recorded 200 strikeouts. Ron Darling had a 2.81 ERA and a 15–6 record, while Bob Ojeda had a 2.57 ERA and an 18–5 record. Roger McDowell led the relief pitchers with 23 saves, while Jesse Orosco posted an impressive 2.33 ERA.
