The New York Mets have had several excellent pitchers throughout history.
Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Ron Darling, Al Leiter, Johan Santana, and more recently Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer.
Very few of those names were more prominent and important to the franchise’s rich history than Dwight Gooden.
The first-round pick by the Mets in the 1982 draft (fifth overall), Gooden was destined for greatness and you could tell by just looking at him going after hitters.
On this day, but 37 years ago, “Doc” got the most prestigious award for pitchers in MLB: the Cy Young.
“#OTD in 1985 @DocGooden16 was named the unanimous NL Cy Young Award winner,” the Mets tweeted.
#OTD in 1985 @DocGooden16 was named the unanimous NL Cy Young Award winner. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ILeQjctSi6
— New York Mets (@Mets) November 18, 2022
Gooden was incredibly dominant in that 1985 campaign.
He pitched 276.2 innings with a 1.53 ERA and 8.9 Wins Above Replacement.
Take a minute to digest those numbers.
That ERA sure was something to behold.
Gooden went 24-4 as a 20-year-old sophomore pitcher in the Mets’ rotation.
He also struck out an incredible 268 hitters, which was an unbeliveable number back then.
A Dominant Force From The Mound
Simply put, Gooden was masterful.
Then, in 1986, he went 17-6 with a 2.84 ERA in 250 frames to lead the Mets to their second World Series title, the other one coming in 1969.
Despite abusing substances for a considerable portion of his career, Gooden was able to finish with a 3.51 ERA and 194 wins.
It wasn’t quite enough to enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but he is a proud member of the Mets’ Hall of Fame.
What he did for the franchise in the eighties won’t be forgotten by fans.
It’s actually incredible that 37 years have passed since his magical 1985 season in which he also won the NL Pitching Triple Crown.
Time flies.
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