Pete Alonso rewrote the record books in his first major league season en route to being named the National League Rookie of the Year. Alonso was the sixth Mets player to win the award, joining a list that includes franchise icons like Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, and Darryl Strawberry.
Fortunately for the Mets, few of the club’s transcendent rookie talents have fallen victim to the dreaded “sophomore slump.” Here’s how the team’s previous Rookie of the Year winners fared in the follow-up to their award-winning campaign:
Tom Seaver
1967 season: 16-13, 2.76 ERA, 18 CG, 170 K in 251 IP
1968 season: 16-12, 2.20 ERA, 14 CG, 205 K in 278 IP
It’s fitting that the man who would later become known as “The Franchise” was the first Met to be named Rookie of the Year. When Seaver arrived in the big leagues in 1967, the Mets had yet to finish with a winning record. The Amazin’s went just 61-101 for the ‘67 season, but Seaver’s brilliance offered a glimpse into a brighter future. In his first taste of the big leagues, the young right-hander set the team’s single-season records for wins, complete games, and strikeouts.
For most pitchers, a season like Seaver’s ‘67 campaign would have been a career highpoint. Seaver, however, somehow managed to improve on his exemplary rookie year. In 1968–often called “The Year of the Pitcher”–the 23-year-old lowered his ERA by more than half a run. He also fanned 205 batters, beginning a streak of nine consecutive seasons with at least 200 strikeouts.
Jon Matlack
1972 season: 15-10, 2.32 ERA, 8 CG, 169 K in 244 IP
1973 season: 14-16, 3.20 ERA, 14 CG, 205 K in 242 IP
Matlack was the fourth overall selection in the 1967 draft, and he delivered on his promise in his first full year in “the Show.” The lefty recorded four shutouts in 1972, besting Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman for the team lead in that category.
The southpaw was not quite as dominant in 1973, and he suffered a fractured skull in May of that season after taking a screaming line drive to the head. In a remarkable turn of events, Matlack not only survived the career-threatening injury but also returned to pitch just eleven days later. He would go 7-2 from August 1st onward to help lead the Mets to a surprising division title.
Matlack continued to prove his worth in the ‘73 postseason, first by limiting the Big Red Machine to two hits in an NLCS shutout. And while he was the losing pitcher in the decisive Game 7 of the World Series, Matlack pitched to a 2.16 ERA in that Fall Classic.
Darryl Strawberry
1983 season: .257 AVG, 26 HR, 74 RBI, .848 OPS, 19 SB in 122 games
1984 season: .251 AVG, 26 HR, 97 RBI, .810 OPS, 27 SB in 147 games
Strawberry’s lanky 6-foot-6 frame and penchant for hitting towering fly balls made him an imposing slugger, even as a rookie. The former first overall draft pick broke into the big leagues in 1983, employing his signature high leg kick and fluid lefty swing to club 26 home runs.
Despite a drop in slugging percentage, Strawberry posted a similar statline in his 1984 sophomore season. That year, Strawberry made the first of his eight consecutive All-Star appearances.
Dwight Gooden
1984 season: 17-9, 2.60 ERA, 276 K in 218 IP, .545 opp. OPS
1985 season: 24-4, 1.53 ERA, 268 K in 276.2 IP, .524 opp. OPS
The 19-year old Gooden was named to the All-Star team in 1984, becoming the youngest player to appear in the Midsummer Classic. That year saw the Mets hurler set the rookie record for strikeouts and finish second in NL Cy Young voting to Rick Sutcliffe of the Cubs.
He would go on to win the Cy Young in 1985, posting one of the lowest single-season ERAs since the dawn of the Live Ball Era (1.53). The 20-year-old became a national phenomenon, earning endorsement deals with Polaroid, Kellogg’s, Spalding, and Toys R Us by the start of the 1986 season.
Jacob deGrom
2014 season: 9-6, 2.69 ERA, 144 K in 140.1 IP, .613 opp. OPS
2015 season: 14-8, 2.54 ERA, 205 K in 191 IP, .574 opp. OPS
When deGrom and Rafael Montero made their MLB debuts within a day of each other in 2014, Montero was thought to have the higher upside. But deGrom exceeded the expectations of prospect evaluators when he pitched to a 2.69 ERA over 22 starts. The righty was easily the best player in a weak rookie class that featured Billy Hamilton and Kolten Wong.
DeGrom continued his emergence as one of the game’s most electrifying hurlers in 2015, a season that culminated with the Mets winning the NL pennant. He dazzled in his first All-Star appearance, needing just ten pitches to strike out the side. He also received his first postseason experience, tying Tom Seaver’s Mets postseason record with a 13-strikeout performance in the NLDS.
Searle’s Final Say
If past results are any indication, Pete Alonso is in for an outstanding 2020 campaign. Though it will be difficult to repeat his rookie performance, the Polar Bear has proven adept at making in-season adjustments. He also has history on his side, as every previous Mets Rookie of the Year winner has gone on to enjoy a prosperous career.
