1986 New York Mets
108-54 (.667)
Manager: Davey Johnson
Won division by 21½ games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
NLCS: Beat the Houston Astros in six games.
World Series: Beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games.
The 1986 New York Mets were the best team in the majors, and knew it. Their swagger, cockiness, and 108-54 record annoyed opponents, who were probably already frustrated by the Mets' uncanny knack for winning. The animosity between the Mets and the rest of the league led to no fewer than four bench-clearing brawls that season. After one fight, so many Mets were ejected that Davey Johnson was forced to alternate relievers Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell in right field.
 | | The 1986 Mets (NY Mets) | |
First baseman Keith Hernandez summed it up perfectly -- "we had replaced the Yankees as the team they loved to hate." With George Steinbrenner in the Bronx, that was a remarkable achievement.
In every facet of the game, the Mets were deep, talented and passionate. The best starting five in the majors gave way to a bullpen with several superb closers, the lineup featured good power and blazing speed, while an above-average defense boasted several Gold Glove-caliber players. As skipper, Davey Johnson established himself as one of the best tacticians in the game. Ironically, the team which had run away with the NL East crown in such efficient fashion -- 21½ games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies -- found themselves struggling in the post-season against both Houston and Boston. But, helped by timely hitting, "rally caps", and Bill Buckner's famous miscue in Game Six of the World Series, the Mets rode a wave of emotion to their second World Championship.
| LINEUP |
| CF |
Lenny Dykstra |
| .295, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 31 SB |
| 2B |
Wally Backman |
| .320, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 13 SB |
| 1B |
Keith Hernandez |
| .310, 13 HR, 83 RBI, 94 R |
| C |
Gary Carter |
| .255, 24 HR, 105 RBI, 81 R |
| RF |
Darryl Strawberry |
| .259, 27 HR, 93 RBI, 28 SB |
| 3B |
Ray Knight |
| .298, 11 HR, 76 RBI, 24 2B |
| LF |
Mookie Wilson |
| .289, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 25 SB |
| SS |
Rafael Santana |
| .218, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 36 BB |
|
| ROTATION |
| P |
Dwight Gooden |
| 17-6, 2.84 ERA, 200 K |
| P |
Bob Ojeda |
| 18-5, 2.57 ERA, 148 K |
| P |
Sid Fernandez |
| 16-6, 3.52 ERA, 200 K |
| P |
Ron Darling |
| 15-6, 3.52 ERA, 200 K |
| P |
Rick Aguilera |
| 10-7, 3.88 ERA |
|
| BULLPEN |
| P |
Jesse Orosco |
| 8-6, 2.33 ERA, 21 SV |
| P |
Roger McDowell |
| 14-9, 3.02 ERA, 22 SV |
| P |
Doug Sisk |
| 4-2, 3.06 ERA, 1 SV |
|
| KEY RESERVES |
| OF/IF |
Kevin Mitchell |
| .277, 12 HR, 43 RBI, 22 2B |
| 2B |
Tim Teufel |
| .247, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 32 BB |
| 3B |
Howard Johnson |
| .245, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 30 R |
The Mets' lineup was masterful at putting runners on base and driving them home. Although no Met batter topped the competition in any individual category, the team led the league in both average and runs scored. Speedy hitters at the top of the lineup like Mookie Wilson, Wally Backman and Len Dykstra set the table for the thundering bats of Darryl Strawberry (27 homers) and Gary Carter (24 homers). With solid hitting from Keith Hernandez (.310, 34 doubles) and Ray Knight (24 doubles, 76 RBI), the Mets allowed opposing pitchers little time to relax and fewer easy outs than any other team in baseball.
While the Mets' seemingly invincible pitching slumped as the season concluded, the team never could have approached the success it achieved without the contributions of eight significant hurlers. 1985 Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden (17-6, 200 K) headlined a starting staff whose fifth starter, Rick Aguilera, went 10-7 with a 3.88 ERA. Lefthander Bob Ojeda, obtained from the Red Sox in the off-season for a couple of minor leaguers, threw 18 wins worth of junkballs. Ron Darling won one game in the World Series and fifteen during the year. Rounding out the starting five was the rotund Sid Fernandez, who posted a 16-6 record with 200 strikeouts. Doug Sisk provided excellent middle relief throughout the year, while the wacky Roger McDowell and reliable Jesse Orosco shared the closing duties, each racking up over 20 saves.
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