Tom Brennan - Mets Shut Outs and Walk Off Hits Over Time

With all of the months of sheltering in place and down time, I got me to doin’ some thinking.  Like...I got curious as to how the Mets have done over time with:

1) shutouts (for and against) and 

2) walk off hits (Mets and opponents). 

First, though, what time period? What about since the Mets’ last World Series winning season in 1986?

That, to save you the math, is 34 L..O..N..G years.

Almost, it seems, as long as sheltering in place was (feel free to wash your hands for 20 seconds before finishing this article, of course).

First, how about those shut outs, Howie Rose?

Knowing how strong the Mets pitching has been collectively since 1986, one would expect more shutouts by the Mets than against them.

If that is your assumption, you are as smart as I thought you were, and you are correct.

From 1986 to 2019:

The Mets threw 376 shutouts 11.06 shutouts per season), while being shut out just 304 times (8.94 per season), a positive average difference of 2.12 shutouts per year.  

It sounds a lot greater to simply say that the Mets threw 72 more shutouts during that period.

The best year was the pennant-winning season of 1988, when Mets’ pitchers fashioned an amazing 22 shutouts, while Mets hitters were only shut out 6 times.  The World Series favorite Mets that year, sadly, lost game four of the World Series, when the Mets led 4-2 going into the 9th, only to have Mike Scioscia hit a 2 run, tying shot in the 9th, followed in the 12th by a Kirk Gibson walk off, pivoting that series to the Dodgers.

Moving on, the worst year was 2004, with just 6 shutouts thrown, and 12 shutouts suffered.

In the era of the Mets’ fab 5 of Harvey, Wheeler, deGrom, Matz, and Syndergaard (2012-2019), the Mets surprisingly have averaged just one more shutout by its pitchers than shutouts against Mets hitters (12 vs. 11).

Walk-off hits?  A love/hate relationship!

Those thrilling wins and agonizing losses occurred 255 times by Mets hitters and 266 times by opposing hitters, about 8 times each per season on average.  

The best "walk off" years were put up by the fine 2006 Mets team, with 11 walk off wins vs. just 5 walk off losses, and the 1999 team (8 wins, vs. just one walk off loss).

In both 1993 and 1994, two shaky years, the Mets had back-to-back negative 5 seasons. In fact, from 1992-94, the Mets were a negative 14 in walk offs those 3 seasons. 

Not surprisingly, the Mets were 65 games below .500 in those 3 seasons, one of which was truncated by 49 games due to a strike.

Hopefully, this article was not a shut out from your perspective, and now it is time for me to walk off.  

See ya!!