MLB Franchise Four – Biggest Snubs for Each Team
New York Mets – Dwight Gooden
Franchise Four: Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza, Tom Seaver, David Wright
If there has been one asset that the New York Mets have truly lacked over the years, it has been dominant starting pitching. So why would the Franchise Four leave off perhaps the team’s second-most dominant pitcher of all-time?
In 11 seasons with the Mets, and starting at the tender age of 19-years-old, Dwight Gooden was the lightning in the bottle that the team built its championship dreams around. He would win 157 games (against 86 losses), which currently ranks second only to Tom Seaver, as does his 52.6 WAR and 1,875 strike-outs with the club. Those statistics led to a Rookie of the Year award, a Cy Young, and four All-Star games.
However, like most lightning in a bottle, Gooden burned out too quickly. He and teammate Darryl Strawberry became the poster boys for “what could have been” and serve as a life lesson for those players that live just a little too fast. Maybe his omission was a punishment for the lifestyle that robbed the Mets of further glory?
Next: Nationals - Dennis Martinez