While the New York Mets haven’t given their fans much to cheer about this year, the team made an announcement Thursday that excited the fanbase.
Next season, the Mets will retire the numbers of Dwight Gooden and outfielder Darryl Strawberry. Both players were members of the 1986 World Series champion team.
No. 16 and No. 18: Forever enshrined in Mets history.
Next season, we will retire Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry’s numbers. pic.twitter.com/WvgZ0SuxvA
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 24, 2023
Strawberry and Gooden played a pivotal role in the Mets’ success in the 1980s.
Darryl made his major league debut with New York in 1983 and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .257 with 26 home runs. He would go on to be named to the NL All-Star team from 1984-90, the remainder of his career with the Mets. Strawberry’s best season with the Mets came in 1988 when he hit .269 with 39 home runs, narrowly finishing second behind Kirk Gibson in NL MVP voting. He remained with the Mets through 1990 before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gooden made his debut in 1984 at just 20 years old and took the league by storm. He won the 1984 Rookie of the Year Award, striking out 276 batters and putting up a 2.60 ERA. He would top that next year, going 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA and 16 complete games. Gooden became just the second Met in franchise history to win the NL Cy Young Award, joining Tom Seaver. Gooden remained with the team until 1994, and his tenure, especially later on, was clouded by off-the-field-issues.
The Mets have not yet announced a date for the jersey retirements.
