Ranking Each Mets Opening Day Victory
The bad news about having to order the Mets’ season-opening wins is there are so many to list. The good news is there are a lot of wins. With a Tom Seaver‘s amount of “W”s in their history, and the MLB’s best winning percentage in this part of the schedule, here’s a rundown from 41 to 1.
41. 2020
If an Opening Day win occurs but no fans are there to see it, does it count? Sure, but it still feels hallow. Yoenis Céspedes‘ solo homer was the only scoring in a shutout of the Braves.
40. 1971
The Mets’ first opening game win at Shea is shortened to five innings due to heavy rain. Tom Seaver allows a pair of runs to the Montreal Expos but is supported by early offense in a 4-2 victory.
39. 1981
Homers from Rusty Staub and Lee Mazzilli in the fourth are the difference at Wrigley Field. The 2-0 win was protected by Pat Zachry‘s five shutout frames plus a three-inning (!!) save from Neil Allen.
38. 1972
Another three-inning save, this one from Tug McGraw to secure another Seaver W. Overshadowing the day was poor weather, a delayed start of the schedule because of a players’ strike, and the recent passing of manager Gil Hodges.
37. 2023
The news of Justin Verlander‘s injury which sent him to the IL put a damper on the positive outcome at loanDepot Park. Max Scherzer lets the Marlins tie it in the sixth, but the Mets answer with two deciding runs in the top of the seventh.
36. 1982
New York put six earned runs on Phillies’ ace Steve Carlton at Veteran Stadium, including a four-run seventh. Bob Bailor drives in three and goes 3-for-4 with two doubles.
35. 2017
Victory aside, it was a sign of what was to come: frustrating offense as the Mets left nine on base and failed to get on the scoreboard until exploding for six in the seventh, while Noah Syndergaard was brilliant until departing with a blister.
34. 1979
Even as they embarked on a third straight last-place season, they were unbeatable from the jump. In what will become a recurring theme of “Mets busts who nonetheless had great debuts,” Richie Hebner goes 4-for-5 with four runs batted in as New York tops Chicago, 10-6.
33. 1976
None of the top five in the Mets batting order got a hit. The bottom of the lineup bailed them out. Del Unser, Jerry Grote, and Bud Harrelson combined to tally four hits. Harrelson drove in two runs in a 3-2 final. Tom Seaver lasted seven innings and struck out eight.
32. 1980
New York breaks a 1-1 tie with four runs in the sixth, helped by an error from former Met (and now Chicago Cub) Lenny Randle. Craig Swan is the Opening Day starter (and victor). Neil Allen takes it from there and goes two innings to get the save.
31. 2009
The Reds only managed a run on three hits and four walks in 5.2 innings versus Johan Santana. Daniel Murphy homers and drives both New York runs. Francisco Rodriguez makes his first regular-season appearance as a Met and pitches a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.
30. 1977
Tom Seaver’s last Mets Opening Day start (for now). He spots the Chicago Cubs a 2-0 lead before New York’s bats come through in the sixth with hits from Lee Mazzilli, John Milner, and John Stearns. Seaver departs in the eighth and Skip Lockwood nails it down.
29. 2010
This game had four errors—three by the Florida Marlins and one by David Wright. “The Captain” more than made up for it with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. The Mets put up a four spot in the sixth to give Johan Santana a win.
28. 2012
Santana returns after missing all of 2011 with a shoulder injury and goes five scoreless innings against Atlanta. The Mets only need a run, and it comes after Johan departs. He’d have an even more memorable outing less than two months later.
27. 2002
A season full of optimism eventually turns sour, but not here. New York scored three in the second and Al Leiter takes care of the Pittsburgh Pirates over six frames. Edgardo Alfonzo goes 3-for-4, and Jay Payton homers.
26. 1991
The Vince Coleman era begins! A future Mets bust for the ages has a pretty good debut, going 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot and stealing a base. Dwight Gooden strikes out seven Phillies over eight innings and John Franco goes 1-2-3 to close out a 2-1 victory.
25. 1978
Jerry Koosman goes the distance in the first start of his final season as a Met and the first Opening Day without Tom Seaver on the mound since 1968. The lone blemish is a home run by future friend Gary Carter, who’d do it for the proper side in about seven years.
24. 1986
One of 108. For all the thrills this season had, the opener was rather ordinary as Gooden appeared to have picked up where he left off in 1985. In another complete game, this time at Three Rivers Stadium, Doc allowed two runs on six hits. The Mets had four extra-base hits, all of them doubles.
23. 2018
On a day in which the Mets family mourned the loss of Rusty Staub, the team took care of the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-4. Noah Syndergaard fanned 10 and went six innings while the offense broke it open with a five-run fifth.
22. 1993
The first regular season game in the history of the Colorado Rockies. Dwight Gooden greeted the expansion club with a four-hit shutout. Bobby Bonilla homers in a 3-0 win. By season’s end, the Rockies would finish with eight more victories than the basement-dwelling Mets.
21. 2022
Tylor Megill fills in for Jacob deGrom and plays the ace role quite well, with five scoreless innings. The Mets waste many chances to expand a lead that ended at four as they leave 10 runners on base. Robinson Canó goes 2-for-3 with two runs scored in one of his last appearances.
20. 1973
Tom Seaver’s second Cy Young season started out splendidly. He out-dueled Steve Carlton and, with Tug McGraw, blanked the Philadelphia Phillies. Cleon Jones provided a pair of homers (in the fourth and eighth) and drove in all of the Mets’ three runs.
19. 2007
Revenge from the NLCS? Not entirely. The Mets got one back in St. Louis as the defending champion Cards got to show off another championship banner. Tom Glavine and company allowed 10 hits but only a run. New York had solid hitting performances from Paul Lo Duca and Carlos Delgado.
18. 2004
Kaz Matsui had nowhere to go but down after leading off his major-league debut with a home run to dead center at Turner Field and then finishing 3-for-3 with three RBIs. The Mets scored in each of the first four innings to support Tom Glavine against his former club.
17. 2006
Glavine was the starter again, this time at Shea versus the Washington Nationals. He gave up one earned over six. Washington wound up with 12 hits but only two runs to show for it thanks to nine left on base. The Mets didn’t make it easy on themselves, stranding 10. But fortunately, three scored.
16. 2008
The much-anticipated debut of Johan Santana happened at Marlins Park in front of more than 38,000. Florida fans showed up and Johan pretty much did too. He struck out eight and allowed two runs over seven. David Wright doubled twice and drove in three of New York’s seven runs.
15. 2013
Opening Day is an opportunity to elevate yourself above most other regular-season games. Just ask Collin Cowgill. The outfielder made just 61 at-bats as a Met and played in only 23 games. Yet he’s remembered better than most thanks to his seventh-inning grand slam to left field—punctuating a terrific team-hitting display against San Diego.
14. 1994
Not the prettiest, but when an unknown like the Cubs’ Tuffy Rhodes hits three home runs (and had 13 total over six seasons) against Dwight Gooden and it doesn’t change the outcome it doesn’t look as bad. Luckily, the wind at Wrigley was blowing out for both sides. The Mets hit three home runs themselves in a 12-8 decision.
13. 2019
It was vintage deGrom as the back-to-back Cy Young effort wasted no time, fanning 10 and allowing five hits over six innings. Max Scherzer had 12 K’s, but Robinson Canó overcame it with a solo home run in his first Mets at-bat and an eighth inning single that provided. New York small insurance. Edwin Díaz (also making his Mets debut) got the save.
12. 1987
It started with a ring ceremony and ended with handshakes. The Mets kicked off defense of their World Series title by beating the Pirates behind a Darryl Strawberry first-inning homer. New York got all its scoring done in the first, then held on as Pittsburgh scratched for a ninth-inning run but came up one short. Dwight Gooden would have ordinarily pitched, but instead was in drug rehab.
11. 2015
The Mets began their most recent World Series season in unusual and historic fashion. At age 41, Bartolo Colón became the oldest Opening Day starter in Mets history and 37-year-old Buddy Carlyle recorded his only save in the orange and blue after Lucas Duda thwarted Max Scherzer‘s no-hit bid in the sixth thanks in part to a Washington Nationals fielding misplay.
10. 1989
Howard Johnson‘s second 30-30 season was initiated with three hits, including a home run to right field. Kevin Elster and Darryl Strawberry matched HoJo’s hit total, while Straw stole two bases. Gooden, making his fourth Opening Day start since ’85, was afforded the comfort of a big lead and allowed three runs.
9. 2001
This didn’t totally erase the Turner Field hex, but Robin Ventura‘s two home runs—the first off John Rocker—was nonetheless satisfying. Mike Piazza also went deep to open the scoring, the Braves got to Al Leiter and John Franco and managed to tie it at four in the bottom of the eighth before Ventura’s tenth-inning two-run blast.
8. 1992
Everything was lovely in Mets-ville. A loss was barely avoided as Mackey Sasser beat out a throw to first on a ninth-inning double play attempt. Bobby Bonilla broke a 2-2 game in the 10th at Busch Stadium and a team that had pennant-winning expectations was off to a great start. Nothing could go wrong…except everything.
7. 1975
Another Seaver-Carlton face-off. Another win in Seaver’s column. Neither starter would let the bullpen decide it, and it wasn’t settled until the bottom of the ninth, tied at one. Carlton relinquished a leadoff single to Félix Millán, a walk to John Milner, and a base hit to Joe Torre that allowed Millán to score.
6. 1970
After going 0-8 in openers, the Mets got their first as they began defense of their championship. Neither Seaver nor Pirates ace Steve Blass factored into the decision as a 3–3 tie lasted into the eleventh, when bad Pittsburgh defense and more heroics from World Series MVP Donn Clendenon helped break the deadlock. The former Pirate singled to bring in the deciding runs.
5. 1998
Manager Bobby Valentine used 19 players. The last was Alberto Castillo, who put an end to the four-hour affair. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 14th, Castillo singled to finally break the scoreless tie and beat the Philadelphia Phillies.
4. 1988
From one run to several home runs, Darryl Strawberry and company gave new meaning to lift-off. The club racked up a record number of round-trippers in Montreal. Strawberry hit two, the second a titanic blast that struck the roof. Gooden wasn’t his best, but he didn’t need to be as the Mets put up a 10 spot.
3. 1996
Rey Ordóñez, making his big-league debut, showed why he was being hailed as the second coming of Ozzie Smith. He cut down a potential run in the seventh inning with a perfect relay throw from his knees on the outfield grass. Shortly after, Ordóñez keyed a rally that helped the Mets cap a comeback from down 6-0.
2. 1983
Tom Seaver was back. Shea Stadium was packed. The sun was shining. All was right in a Mets fans’ world. Making his record-setting 16th Opening Day start, the 38-year-old Seaver tosses six shoutout innings in a performance reminiscent of vintage Tom. It was a no-decision, but an otherwise glorious afternoon filled with nostalgia.
1. 1985
The cup overflowed with Opening Day hype, and the game delivered. Gary Carter joined Doc, Darryl, and Keith to create the most anticipated season to date. Carter’s Mets debut were the stuff of storybooks. On a cold, blustery day at Shea, Gary delivered a walk-off home run in the 10th, which cut through the wind and cleared the left-center field fence.
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