The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in Flushing, Queens, New York City. They compete in the East Division of Major League Baseball's (MLB) National League (NL). The team's current home stadium is Citi Field, after playing two years at the Polo Grounds and 45 years at Shea Stadium. [1] Since their inception in 1962, the Mets have won two World Series titles and five NL championships. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Mets have won more than 4,800 regular season games, a total that ranks 20th among MLB teams and fourth among expansion teams. [2]
The Mets lost 120 games in their inaugural season, the second-most by an MLB team behind the 2024 Chicago White Sox. [3] After six more years in which their best league finish was ninth, the Mets won the World Series in 1969, defeating the Baltimore Orioles in five games to earn what is widely considered one of the biggest upsets in baseball history. [4] [5] Four seasons later, the Mets returned to the World Series, where they lost to the Oakland Athletics in seven games. After winning two NL championships in five years, New York struggled for the next decade, not coming within 10 games of the NL East leader until 1984.
In 1986, the team posted 108 wins, the most in franchise history, and defeated the Houston Astros in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) to advance to the World Series. Trailing three games to two in the series, the Mets were one out from defeat in game six before coming back to win 6–5; they won game seven two days later to earn their second World Series championship. [6] After a second-place finish in 1987, the Mets won the NL East the next year, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. The Mets' next playoff appearances were their back-to-back wild card-winning seasons of 1999 and 2000; in the latter year, they won their fourth NL championship, but lost to the cross-town New York Yankees in the "Subway Series". [7] The 2006 Mets earned an NL East title, before the St. Louis Cardinals defeated them in the NLCS. In 2007 and 2008, the team was eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the regular season. [8] The Mets won the NL East in 2015, and swept the Chicago Cubs in four games to win the NLCS and advance to the World Series for the first time since 2000; [9] they lost the Series to the Kansas City Royals in five games. The following year, they returned to the playoffs with a wild card berth, but lost the 2016 NL Wild Card Game to the San Francisco Giants. In the most recent season, 2024, the Mets finished in third place in the NL East and reached the National League Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Term | Meaning |
---|---|
ASGMVP | All-Star Game Most Valuable Player |
CPOY | Comeback Player of the Year |
CYA | Cy Young Award |
Finish | Final position in league or division |
GB | "Games back" from first-place team [a] |
Losses | Number of regular season losses |
MLB season | Each year is linked to an article about that particular MLB season |
MOY | Manager of the Year |
NLCS | National League Championship Series |
NLDS | National League Division Series |
NLWC | National League Wild Card Game/Series |
ROY | National League Rookie of the Year |
RPOY | National League Reliever of the Year |
Team season | Each year is linked to an article about that particular Mets season |
Wins | Number of regular season wins |
WSMVP | World Series Most Valuable Player Award |
Note: Statistics are correct as of October 20, 2024.
World Series champions † | NL champions * | Division champions ^ | Wild card berth (1995–present) ¤ |
MLB season | Team season | League [11] | Division [11] | Finish [11] | Wins [11] | Losses [11] | Win% [11] | GB [11] | Post season [12] | Awards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | 1962 | NL | — | 10th | 40 | 120 | .250 | 60½ | — | — |
1963 | 1963 | NL | — | 10th | 51 | 111 | .315 | 48 | — | — |
1964 | 1964 | NL | — | 10th | 53 | 109 | .327 | 40 | — | — |
1965 | 1965 | NL | — | 10th | 50 | 112 | .309 | 47 | — | — |
1966 | 1966 | NL | — | 9th | 66 | 95 | .410 | 28½ | — | — |
1967 | 1967 | NL | — | 10th | 61 | 101 | .377 | 40½ | — | Tom Seaver (ROY) [13] |
1968 | 1968 | NL | — | 9th | 73 | 89 | .451 | 24 | — | — |
1969 | 1969 † | NL* | East [b] ^ | 1st | 100 | 62 | .617 | — | Won NLCS (Atlanta Braves) 3–0 Won World Series (Baltimore Orioles) 4–1† | Tom Seaver (CYA) [14] Tommie Agee (CPOY) [15] Donn Clendenon (WSMVP) [16] |
1970 | 1970 | NL | East | 3rd | 83 | 79 | .512 | 6 | — | — |
1971 | 1971 | NL | East | 3rd | 83 | 79 | .512 | 14 | — | — |
1972 [c] | 1972 | NL | East | 3rd | 83 | 73 | .532 | 13½ | — | Jon Matlack (ROY) [13] |
1973 | 1973 | NL* | East^ | 1st | 82 | 79 | .509 | — | Won NLCS (Cincinnati Reds) 3–2 Lost World Series (Oakland Athletics) 4–3* | Tom Seaver (CYA) [14] |
1974 | 1974 | NL | East | 5th | 71 | 91 | .438 | 17 | — | — |
1975 | 1975 | NL | East | 3rd | 82 | 80 | .506 | 10½ | — | Tom Seaver (CYA) [14] Jon Matlack (ASGMVP) [17] [d] |
1976 | 1976 | NL | East | 3rd | 86 | 76 | .531 | 15 | — | — |
1977 | 1977 | NL | East | 6th | 64 | 98 | .395 | 37 | — | — |
1978 | 1978 | NL | East | 6th | 66 | 96 | .407 | 24 | — | — |
1979 | 1979 | NL | East | 6th | 63 | 99 | .389 | 35 | — | — |
1980 | 1980 | NL | East | 5th | 67 | 95 | .414 | 24 | — | — |
1981 [e] | 1981 | NL | East | 5th | 41 | 62 | .398 | 18½ | — | — |
1982 | 1982 | NL | East | 6th | 65 | 97 | .401 | 27 | — | — |
1983 | 1983 | NL | East | 6th | 68 | 94 | .420 | 22 | — | Darryl Strawberry (ROY) [13] |
1984 | 1984 | NL | East | 2nd | 90 | 72 | .556 | 6½ | — | Dwight Gooden (ROY) [13] |
1985 | 1985 | NL | East | 2nd | 98 | 64 | .605 | 3 | — | Dwight Gooden (CYA) [14] |
1986 | 1986 † | NL* | East^ | 1st | 108 | 54 | .667 | — | Won NLCS (Houston Astros) 4–2 Won World Series (Boston Red Sox) 4–3† | Ray Knight (CPOY), (WSMVP) [18] [19] |
1987 | 1987 | NL | East | 2nd | 92 | 70 | .568 | 3 | — | — |
1988 | 1988 | NL | East^ | 1st | 100 | 60 | .625 | — | Lost NLCS (Los Angeles Dodgers) 4–3 | — |
1989 | 1989 | NL | East | 2nd | 87 | 75 | .537 | 6 | — | — |
1990 | 1990 | NL | East | 2nd | 91 | 71 | .562 | 4 | — | — |
1991 | 1991 | NL | East | 5th | 77 | 84 | .478 | 20½ | — | — |
1992 | 1992 | NL | East | 5th | 72 | 90 | .444 | 24 | — | — |
1993 | 1993 | NL | East | 7th | 59 | 103 | .364 | 38 | — | — |
1994 [f] | 1994 | NL | East | 3rd | 55 | 58 | .487 | 18½ | — | — |
1995 [g] | 1995 | NL | East | 2nd | 69 | 75 | .479 | 21 | — | — |
1996 | 1996 | NL | East | 4th | 71 | 91 | .438 | 25 | — | — |
1997 | 1997 | NL | East | 3rd | 88 | 74 | .543 | 13 | — | — |
1998 | 1998 | NL | East | 2nd | 88 | 74 | .543 | 18 | — | — |
1999 | 1999 | NL | East | 2nd [h] ¤ | 97 | 66 | .595 | 6½ | Won NLDS (Arizona Diamondbacks) 3–1 Lost NLCS (Atlanta Braves) 4–2 | Rickey Henderson (CPOY) [20] |
2000 | 2000 | NL* | East | 2nd¤ | 94 | 68 | .580 | 1 | Won NLDS (San Francisco Giants) 3–1 Won NLCS (St. Louis Cardinals) 4–1 Lost World Series (New York Yankees) 4–1* | — |
2001 | 2001 | NL | East | 3rd | 82 | 80 | .506 | 6 | — | — |
2002 | 2002 | NL | East | 5th | 75 | 86 | .466 | 26½ | — | — |
2003 | 2003 | NL | East | 5th | 66 | 95 | .410 | 34½ | — | — |
2004 | 2004 | NL | East | 4th | 71 | 91 | .438 | 25 | — | — |
2005 | 2005 | NL | East | 3rd | 83 | 79 | .512 | 7 | — | — |
2006 | 2006 | NL | East^ | 1st | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | Won NLDS (Los Angeles Dodgers) 3–0 Lost NLCS (St. Louis Cardinals) 4–3 | — |
2007 | 2007 | NL | East | 2nd | 88 | 74 | .543 | 1 | — | — |
2008 | 2008 | NL | East | 2nd | 89 | 73 | .549 | 3 | — | Fernando Tatís (CPOY) [21] |
2009 | 2009 | NL | East | 4th | 70 | 92 | .432 | 23 | — | — |
2010 | 2010 | NL | East | 4th | 79 | 83 | .488 | 18 | — | — |
2011 | 2011 | NL | East | 4th | 77 | 85 | .475 | 25 | — | — |
2012 | 2012 | NL | East | 4th | 74 | 88 | .457 | 24 | — | R. A. Dickey (CYA) [14] |
2013 | 2013 | NL | East | 3rd | 74 | 88 | .457 | 22 | — | — |
2014 | 2014 | NL | East | T-2nd | 79 | 83 | .488 | 17 | — | Jacob deGrom (ROY) [13] |
2015 | 2015 | NL* | East^ | 1st | 90 | 72 | .556 | — | Won NLDS (Los Angeles Dodgers) 3–2 Won NLCS (Chicago Cubs) 4–0 Lost World Series (Kansas City Royals) 4–1* | Matt Harvey (CPOY) [22] |
2016 | 2016 | NL | East | 2nd¤ | 87 | 75 | .537 | 8 | Lost NLWC (San Francisco Giants) | — |
2017 | 2017 | NL | East | 4th | 70 | 92 | .432 | 27 | — | — |
2018 | 2018 | NL | East | 4th | 77 | 85 | .475 | 13 | — | Jacob deGrom (CYA) [14] |
2019 | 2019 | NL | East | 3rd | 86 | 76 | .531 | 11 | — | Jacob deGrom (CYA) [14] Pete Alonso (ROY) [13] |
2020 [i] | 2020 | NL | East | T-4th | 26 | 34 | .433 | 9 | — | — |
2021 | 2021 | NL | East | 3rd | 77 | 85 | .475 | 11½ | — | — |
2022 | 2022 | NL | East | 2nd¤ [j] | 101 | 61 | .623 | 0 | Lost NLWC (San Diego Padres) 2–1 | Buck Showalter (MOY) [23] Edwin Diaz (RPOY) [24] |
2023 | 2023 | NL | East | 4th | 75 | 87 | .463 | 29 | — | — |
2024 | 2024 | NL | East | 3rd¤ [k] | 89 | 73 | .549 | 6 | Won NLWC (Milwaukee Brewers) 2–1 Won NLDS (Philadelphia Phillies) 3–1 Lost NLCS (Los Angeles Dodgers) 4–2 | — |
Statistic | Wins | Losses | Win% |
---|---|---|---|
New York Mets regular season record (1962–2024) | 4,816 | 5,148 | .483 |
New York Mets postseason record (1962–2024) | 59 | 46 | .562 |
All-time regular and postseason record | 4,875 | 5,194 | .484 |
The following table describes the Mets' MLB win–loss record by decade.
Decade | Wins | Losses | Pct |
---|---|---|---|
1960s | 494 | 799 | .382 |
1970s | 763 | 850 | .473 |
1980s | 816 | 743 | .523 |
1990s | 767 | 786 | .494 |
2000s | 815 | 803 | .504 |
2010s | 793 | 827 | .490 |
2020s | 368 | 340 | .520 |
All-time | 4,816 | 5,148 | .483 |
These statistics are from Baseball-Reference.com's New York Mets Team History & Encyclopedia, [11] and are current as of October 20, 2024.
The Mets have made the postseason eleven times in their history. Their first appearance was in 1969 and the most recent was in 2024. [12]
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National League (NL) Division Series. The winner of the NLCS wins the NL pennant and advances to the World Series, MLB's championship series, to play the winner of the American League's (AL) Championship Series. The NLCS began in 1969 as a best-of-five playoff and used this format until 1985, when it changed to a best-of-seven format.
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring each of the two division winners with the best records and the winners of the wild-card play-offs.
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other being the New York Yankees of the American League (AL). One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed NL teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. The team's colors evoke the blue of the Dodgers and the orange of the Giants.
The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in 1945, by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. The curse lasted 71 years, from 1945 to 2016. During Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field, Sianis's pet goat, named Murphy, was bothering other fans, and so the pair were asked to leave the stadium. Outraged, Sianis allegedly declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more", which had been interpreted to mean that the Cubs would never win another National League (NL) pennant, at least for the remainder of Sianis's life.
Bruce Douglas Bochy is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his playing career, Bochy was a catcher for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres. After retiring as a player, Bochy managed the Padres for 12 seasons, from 1995 to 2006, and the San Francisco Giants for 13 seasons, from 2007 to 2019. As manager, Bochy led the Padres to one World Series appearance (1998), the Giants to three World Series championships, and the Rangers to the franchise's first World Series championship in his first season with the club (2023). He is one of only three managers to win a World Series championship in both leagues, joining Sparky Anderson and Tony La Russa as the others. Bochy is the 11th manager in MLB history to achieve 2,000 wins.
The Brewers–Cubs rivalry is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. Both clubs are members of MLB's National League (NL) Central Division. The rivalry is also sometimes known as the I-94 Rivalry, because the two teams' ballparks are located only 83 miles (134 km) from each other off Interstate 94 (I-94).
Clinton Merrick Hurdle is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and manager. Hurdle played for the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals, and managed the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Joseph John Maddon is an American former professional baseball manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Robert Lewis Thomson, nicknamed "Topper", is a Canadian professional baseball manager for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.
The 2007 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2007 regular season, played between the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies of the National League's (NL) West Division to determine the NL wild card. It was played at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, on October 1, 2007. The Rockies won the game 9–8 in thirteen innings on a controversial play at home plate.
The Braves–Mets rivalry is a rivalry between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. Both clubs are members of Major League Baseball's National League (NL) East division. The rivalry between the two clubs was particularly fierce during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The 1999 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1999 regular season, played between the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds to determine the winner of the National League (NL) wild card. It was played at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati, on October 4, 1999. The Mets won the game, 5–0, with starting pitcher Al Leiter pitching a two-hit shutout. As a result, the Mets qualified for the postseason and the Reds did not.
The St. Louis Cardinals, a professional baseball franchise based in St. Louis, Missouri, compete in the National League (NL) of Major League Baseball (MLB). Brewing magnate Gussie Busch's 37-year-long ownership of the club ended with his death in 1989, and his brewery, Anheuser-Busch (AB) took over. In 1995, an investment group led by Drew Baur and William DeWitt, Jr., purchased the team and have owned the club since. Shortstop Ozzie Smith – nicknamed "The Wizard" – collected a staggering array of defensive records and awards while performing acrobatic spectacles such as somersaults and flips that mesmerized Cardinal and non-Cardinal fans alike. In 1998, Mark McGwire and the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa collocated national attention with their chase of Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61. In addition, McGwire also set numerous team home run records. For the 1990s, the Cardinals captured one division title and finished above .500 five times for a .488 winning percentage
The 2014 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was held at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 2014, starting at 8:07 p.m. EDT. After both teams finished the regular season with identical records of 88–74, the Pirates were awarded home field for the game, as they won the season series against the Giants, 4–2. Despite this advantage, the Giants won by a score of 8–0 and advanced to play the Washington Nationals in the NL Division Series. In addition to being the third NL Wild Card Game played, it is notable for the first postseason grand slam hit by a shortstop. The game was televised on ESPN, and was also broadcast on ESPN Radio.
The 2018 National League Central tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2018 regular season, played between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs to determine the champion of the National League's (NL) Central Division. It was played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on October 1, 2018.
The 2020 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 2020 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league played only a 60-game season, and an expanded 16-team postseason tournament began on September 29, with games of all but the first round being played at neutral sites. A new best-of-three Wild Card series was added as the opening round of this postseason due to the shortened season caused by the pandemic; it would become a permanent addition to the postseason format starting in 2022.
The 2021 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2021 season. The winners of the Division Series advanced to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series. After the 2020 postseason, MLB returned to a 10-team playoff format following the loosening of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This was the last postseason to feature the 10-team format, as the league expanded to a 12 team-format for the 2022 postseason.
The 2022 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2022 season. This was the first edition of the postseason since 2012 to have a new format, as it has been expanded to include six teams per league. The top two division winners of the American and National leagues receive first-round byes into the Division Series, and the worst-division winner is the third seed in their respective league. The three Wild Card teams are the fourth, fifth, and sixth seeds. The third seed hosts the sixth seed, and the fourth seed does the same with the fifth seed in the best-of-three Wild Card series. The postseason started on Friday, October 7, two days after the end of the regular season.