List of New York Mets seasons

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 2023 season, the Mets have won more than 4,700 regular season games, a total that ranks 20th among MLB teams and fourth among expansion teams.[2]

The exterior of a baseball stadium, which has a round brown entrance area with a white and orange "citiFIELD" on top.
Citi Field is the home stadium of the Mets.

The Mets lost 120 games in their inaugural season, the most by a post-1900 MLB team.[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, 2023, the Mets finished in fourth place in the NL East and did not qualify for the postseason.

Table key

Catcher Gary Carter played six seasons for the Mets, and was a member of the 1986 World Series-winning team.[10]
Legend for "Year by year" table below
TermMeaning
ASGMVPAll-Star Game Most Valuable Player
CPOYComeback Player of the Year
CYACy Young Award
FinishFinal position in league or division
GB"Games back" from first-place team[a]
LossesNumber of regular season losses
MLB seasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular MLB season
MOYManager of the Year
NLCSNational League Championship Series
NLDSNational League Division Series
NLWCNational League Wild Card Game/Series
ROYNational League Rookie of the Year
Team seasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular Mets season
WinsNumber of regular season wins
WSMVPWorld Series Most Valuable Player Award

Year by year

Note: Statistics are correct as of October 1, 2023.

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
19621962NL10th40120.25060½
19631963NL10th51111.31548
19641964NL10th53109.32740
19651965NL10th50112.30947
19661966NL9th6695.41028½
19671967NL10th61101.37740½Tom Seaver (ROY)[13]
19681968NL9th7389.45124
19691969NL*East[b]^1st10062.617Won NLCS (Atlanta Braves) 3–0
Won World Series (Baltimore Orioles) 4–1
Tom Seaver (CYA)[14]
Tommie Agee (CPOY)[15]
Donn Clendenon (WSMVP)[16]
19701970NLEast3rd8379.5126
19711971NLEast3rd8379.51214
1972[c]1972NLEast3rd8373.53213½Jon Matlack (ROY)[13]
19731973NL*East^1st8279.509Won NLCS (Cincinnati Reds) 3–2
Lost World Series (Oakland Athletics) 4–3*
Tom Seaver (CYA)[14]
19741974NLEast5th7191.43817
19751975NLEast3rd8280.50610½Tom Seaver (CYA)[14]
Jon Matlack (ASGMVP)[17][d]
19761976NLEast3rd8676.53115
19771977NLEast6th6498.39537
19781978NLEast6th6696.40724
19791979NLEast6th6399.38935
19801980NLEast5th6795.41424
1981[e]1981NLEast5th4162.39818½
19821982NLEast6th6597.40127
19831983NLEast6th6894.42022Darryl Strawberry (ROY)[13]
19841984NLEast2nd9072.556Dwight Gooden (ROY)[13]
19851985NLEast2nd9864.6053Dwight Gooden (CYA)[14]
19861986NL*East^1st10854.667Won NLCS (Houston Astros) 4–2
Won World Series (Boston Red Sox) 4–3
Ray Knight (CPOY), (WSMVP)[18][19]
19871987NLEast2nd9270.5683
19881988NLEast^1st10060.625Lost NLCS (Los Angeles Dodgers) 4–3
19891989NLEast2nd8775.5376
19901990NLEast2nd9171.5624
19911991NLEast5th7784.47820½
19921992NLEast5th7290.44424
19931993NLEast7th59103.36438
1994[f]1994NLEast3rd5558.48718½
1995[g]1995NLEast2nd6975.47921
19961996NLEast4th7191.43825
19971997NLEast3rd8874.54313
19981998NLEast2nd8874.54318
19991999NLEast2nd[h]¤9766.595Won NLDS (Arizona Diamondbacks) 3–1
Lost NLCS (Atlanta Braves) 4–2
Rickey Henderson (CPOY)[20]
20002000NL*East2nd¤9468.5801Won NLDS (San Francisco Giants) 3–1
Won NLCS (St. Louis Cardinals) 4–1
Lost World Series (New York Yankees) 4–1*
20012001NLEast3rd8280.5066
20022002NLEast5th7586.46626½
20032003NLEast5th6695.41034½
20042004NLEast4th7191.43825
20052005NLEast3rd8379.5127
20062006NLEast^1st9765.599Won NLDS (Los Angeles Dodgers) 3–0
Lost NLCS (St. Louis Cardinals) 4–3
20072007NLEast2nd8874.5431
20082008NLEast2nd8973.5493Fernando Tatís (CPOY)[21]
20092009NLEast4th7092.43223
20102010NLEast4th7983.48818
20112011NLEast4th7785.47525
20122012NLEast4th7488.45724R. A. Dickey (CYA)[14]
20132013NLEast3rd7488.45722
20142014NLEastT-2nd7983.48817Jacob deGrom (ROY)[13]
20152015NL*East^1st9072.556Won NLDS (Los Angeles Dodgers) 3–2
Won NLCS (Chicago Cubs) 4–0
Lost World Series (Kansas City Royals) 4–1*
Matt Harvey (CPOY)[22]
20162016NLEast2nd¤8775.5378Lost NLWC (San Francisco Giants)
20172017NLEast4th7092.43227
20182018NLEast4th7785.47513Jacob deGrom (CYA)[14]
20192019NLEast3rd8676.53111Jacob deGrom (CYA)[14]
Pete Alonso (ROY)[13]
2020[i]2020NLEastT-4th2634.4339
20212021NLEast3rd7785.47511½
20222022NLEast2nd¤[j]10161.6230Lost NLWC (San Diego Padres) 2–1Buck Showalter (MOY)[23]
20232023NLEast4th7587.46329

All-time records

New York Mets all-time win–loss records
StatisticWinsLossesWin%
New York Mets regular season record (1962–2023)4,7275,075.482
New York Mets postseason record (1962–2023)5240.566
All-time regular and postseason record4,7795,115.483

Record by decade

The following table describes the Mets' MLB win–loss record by decade.

DecadeWinsLossesPct
1960s494799.382
1970s763850.473
1980s816743.523
1990s767786.494
2000s815803.504
2010s793827.490
2020s279267.511
All-time46624988.483

These statistics are from Baseball-Reference.com's New York Mets Team History & Encyclopedia,[11] and are current as of October 1, 2023.

Postseason record by year

The Mets have made the postseason ten times in their history. Their first appearance was in 1969 and the most recent was in 2022.[12]

YearFinishRoundOpponentResult
1969World Series ChampionsNLCSAtlanta BravesWon30
World SeriesBaltimore OriolesWon41
1973National League ChampionsNLCSCincinnati RedsWon32
World SeriesOakland AthleticsLost34
1986World Series ChampionsNLCSHouston AstrosWon42
World SeriesBoston Red SoxWon43
1988National East ChampionsNLCSLos Angeles DodgersLost34
1999National League Wild CardNLDSArizona DiamondbacksWon31
NLCSAtlanta BravesLost24
2000National League ChampionsNLDSSan Francisco GiantsWon31
NLCSSt. Louis CardinalsWon41
World SeriesNew York YankeesLost14
2006National League East ChampionsNLDSLos Angeles DodgersWon30
NLCSSt. Louis CardinalsLost34
2015National League ChampionsNLDSLos Angeles DodgersWon32
NLCSChicago CubsWon40
World SeriesKansas City RoyalsLost14
2016National League Wild CardWild Card GameSan Francisco GiantsLost01
2022National League Wild CardWild Card SeriesSan Diego PadresLost12
10Totals11–85240

Notes

  • a This is determined by calculating the difference in wins plus the difference in losses divided by two.
  • b In 1969, the National League split into East and West divisions.[24]
  • c The 1972 Major League Baseball strike forced the cancellation of the Mets' first six games of the season.[25]
  • d Matlack and Bill Madlock were co-winners of the award.[17]
  • e The 1981 Major League Baseball strike caused the season to be split into two halves.[26] The Mets finished with a 17–34 record in the first half of the season, and a fifth-place finish in the National League East. After the strike was resolved, the team had a 24–28 record in the second half, placing them fourth in the division.[27]
  • f The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike, which started on August 12, led to the cancellation of the rest of the season.[25]
  • g The 1994–95 MLB strike lasted until April 2, causing the 1995 season to be shortened to 144 games.[25]
  • h The Mets finished the 1999 season tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the National League wild card playoff berth. In a one-game tie-breaker, the Mets defeated the Reds 5–0 to win the wild card.[28]
  • i The 2020 season was shortened to 60 games by the COVID-19 pandemic.[29]
  • j The Mets finished the 2022 season tied with the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.[30] Instead of playing a one-game tie-breaker like in years past, the division champion was decided by the teams' head-to-head record, which favored the Braves.[31]

References

General
  • "New York Mets Team History & Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  • "New York Mets: History". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  • "New York Mets year-by-year results". New York Mets. Major League Baseball. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  • "Mets Postseason Results". New York Mets. Major League Baseball. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
Specific