Is R.A. Dickey Getting (Shudder To Think) Greedy?

R.A. Dickey had a tremendous season for the Mets in 2012, winning 20 games and the Cy Young Award.  As a result, the Mets picked up his $5 million option for 2013, a team-friendly deal that's far below what most reigning Cy Young winners earn.

Now Dickey is looking for a two-year extension that would keep him in New York through the 2015 campaign.  What would it take to keep him in Flushing for the two seasons after his option year?  Approximately $26 million, give or take a few Susan B. Anthonys.  What are the Mets offering their knuckleballer?  $20 million for two years.  The $3 million per year difference might be enough to write an unwanted final chapter in Dickey's storybook career in New York.

For as much as I appreciate everything R.A. Dickey has done for the Mets, I advise him to take the money if he's smart (which he is) and doesn't want to tarnish his legacy (which he could).  Here's why.

In 2000, the Detroit Tigers offered free agent outfielder Juan Gonzalez what would have been a record eight-year, $140 million contract.  To put that into perspective, the Mets just signed David Wright to a team-record eight-year, $138 million contract.  Gonzalez was being offered his amount when David Wright was still popping pimples in high school.

Gonzalez certainly had earned that sizable contract, winning two American League Most Valuable Player Awards and averaging 43 HR and 140 RBI from 1996 to 1999 while leading the Texas Rangers to three division titles.  What did he do with the lucrative offer?

He turned the Tigers down.

At the time, Gonzalez was 30 years old.  He wasn't exactly a spry youth, but he certainly wasn't at the end of the line.  Or so he thought.

The slugger played six more seasons in the major leagues, with only one of them being All-Star caliber (2001, when he finished the year with 35 HR and 140 RBI as a member of the Cleveland Indians).  After the 2001 campaign, Gonzalez's production took a hard tumble, as he averaged nine home runs and 30 RBIs per season in each of his last four years in the big leagues.  He played one game in his second go-round with the Cleveland Indians in 2005, never playing again in the big leagues.  Had he signed the deal with the Tigers back in 2000, he still would have been paid through 2007.  Instead, he was out of baseball, carrying a much lighter wallet with him.

That brings us back to R.A. Dickey.

As stated before, Dickey is a smart man.  But that highly evolved brain of his is still 38 years old, as is his pitching arm.  If he were to sign the two year, $20 million extension that the Mets are offering him, he'd be earning $10 million in 2015, a season that would end approximately one month before his 41st birthday.  How many other pitchers who have already blown out 40 candles can say they make that type of money?  Not many.

Greg Maddux was a 40-year-old pitcher in 2006, winning 15 games for the Cubs and Dodgers.  His salary that year was $9 million.  The future Hall of Famer earned $10 million as a 41-year-old in 2007 and $10 million more as a 42-year-old in 2008.  His combined record during those final two seasons in which he earned $10 million per year was an un-Maddux-like 22-24. 

Greg Maddux was one of the best pitchers of all-time.  R.A. Dickey had a 41-50 won-loss record prior to his Cy Young-winning campaign.  It's like comparing apples and oranges.

Dickey had a great season in 2012.  He has earned the right to demand a higher salary.  But asking for a two-year, $26 million extension at his age is just plain silly, especially when Greg Maddux, a future Hall of Fame pitcher with a far more attractive résumé, was only making $10 million just four years ago at a similar age. 

In 2003, Juan Gonzalez would have been in the fourth year of his eight-year, $140 million contract.  Instead, he was missing 80 games for the Texas Rangers as a teammate of R.A. Dickey, earning a fraction of what he would have earned as a member of the Detroit Tigers.  Considering that Dickey saw firsthand what a mistake Gonzalez made when they were teammates, don't you think he wouldn't be as adamant with his contract demands, especially given his age and mediocre record prior to 2012?

Take the money, R.A.  There's no reason to roll the dice when you saw how easy it is for snake eyes to appear.

Let The Phillies Get Older With Michael Young

There is an old adage in baseball that says pitching wins championships.  The San Francisco Giants can attest to that, as they've won two titles in three years on the strength of their stellar starting rotation and deep bullpen.  But while pitching wins titles, it's youth that keeps teams playing for championships.

After winning four World Series in five seasons from 1996 to 2000 with a number of homegrown players who were still in their 20s (Jeter, Williams, Posada, Pettitte, Rivera), the Yankees have managed just one championship over the past 12 seasons.  Basically, they've become too old to compete with the young studs in places like Detroit and Texas.  Heck, they barely beat out Baltimore in the regular season and ALDS, while allowing Tampa to win two division titles over the past five seasons.

Similarly, the Phillies won five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011, but could only manage a .500 record in 2012.  All that success earned them one World Series trophy.  In 2012, the Phillies had 17 players play in at least 70 games.  None of them were younger than age 28 and all but two of them were at least 31 years of age.  In addition, Cliff Lee (age 33) and Roy Halladay (age 35) both spent time on the disabled list, combining to make 55 starts, winning only 17 of them.

Here's a sign that the Phillies are an old, fragile team.  Carlos Ruiz, their recently caught-with-PEDs catcher, finished fifth on the team in games played.  That's a catcher who gets day games after night games off, spending more time on the field than all but four players on the team.

So are the Phillies looking to get any younger this year, especially after seeing the youth movement in Washington lead to a major league-leading 98 wins for the Nationals during the 2012 regular season?

Uh, not exactly.

Many sources, including MLB Trade Rumors, are reporting that the Phillies have just completed a trade with the Texas Rangers for the services of third baseman Michael Young, who has decided to waive his no-trade clause to leave the only team he has played for in the major leagues.

For those who are not aware of Michael Young's career, he is a former Gold Glove winner (2008) and seven-time All-Star.  He is also Texas' all-time leader in hits, as well as games played, at-bats, runs scored, singles, doubles, triples, total bases and sacrifice flies.

Translation?  He's old.

In addition to getting up there in years, the 36-year-old Young just completed one of the worst seasons of his career.  After hitting a career-high .338 for the pennant-winning Rangers in 2011, Young's average dropped dramatically to .277, his lowest mark in ten years.  His 27 doubles were also his lowest total since 2002, as were his 67 RBI and .312 on-base percentage.  Young's eight home runs, two stolen bases and .370 slugging percentage in 2012 all represented career-lows.  And I haven't even mentioned his horrid -2.4 WAR from last season, which includes his fourth consecutive sub-zero dWAR, a number that should become five straight playing in a non-DH league in 2013.  (Oops.  Guess I just did mention it.)

Young's 2012 numbers are what you would have expected from him had he spent time on the disabled list, missing a significant portion of the season.  Instead, those numbers are what Young produced in a season in which he played 156 games and collected 611 at-bats.  But of course, the Phillies would love to have him and his $16 million salary for 2013 (although Texas would be paying a portion of that hefty salary).

The Phillies recently signed Cole Hamels to a contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2018 with a team option for the 2019 season.  Cole Hamels will turn 36 in 2019.  They also have Cliff Lee signed through the 2015 season, with a vesting option for 2016, a year in which the southpaw will turn 38.  Ryan Howard is signed to a monster contract that will keep the rapidly declining slugger in red through his 37th birthday, the same age Jimmy Rollins will be if his option vests in 2015.

Perhaps the reason why the Phillies are trying so desperately to bring in Michael Young is because Citizens Bank Nursing Home needs another resident to replace Shane Victorino (who was a relatively young 31 years of age when the Phillies traded him to the Dodgers this past summer).  Or maybe it's just that they really miss Scott Rolen.

The Phillies are going all out to acquire Michael Young.  But a 36-year-old Young is still no 26-year-old Rolen.

Since Scott Rolen was shipped out of Philly at the trade deadline in 2002, the third baseman has been a member of six division champions, two pennant winners and one World Series champion.  In the ten years since he played his last game as a Phillie, Rolen has also won five Gold Gloves and made the All-Star team six times.  Meanwhile, the roll call of Phillies' third basemen since Rolen's departure has included names like David Bell, Abraham Nuñez, Greg Dobbs, Wes Helms, Pedro Feliz, Placido Polanco and Kevin Frandsen.  In other words, the Phillies have yet to find a long-term replacement for Scott Rolen, who was the closest thing they've had to Mike Schmidt since ... Mike Schmidt.

Michael Young, all three dozen years of him and coming off the worst full season of his career, is now the Phillies' new third baseman.  And with Young only signed through the 2013 season, the Phillies may be looking for yet another player to man the hot corner in 2014, assuming they don't continue their recent tradition of signing 30-something players to multi-year extensions.

Let Ruben Amaro continue to throw money at players who will be collecting their first social security checks shortly.  I'd rather take my chances with our recently-signed third baseman.  I'm sure the Phillies would love to have him right about now.  Then again, David Wright is probably too young for the Phillies anyway.

Song Tribute: Imagine (For John Lennon & Mets Fans)

Even the most casual of music fans knows the significance of December 8, 1980.  Thirty-two years ago today, the world lost a musical genius, as John Lennon was assassinated in front of his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  The singer, songwriter and peace activist was taken from his family and fans at the young age of 40.

In the past, Studious Metsimus has written an assortment of song parodies, taking songs from various genres of music and warping them into humorous Mets-themed tunes.  But today, a song parody would not be appropriate.  Instead, we'd like to present a song tribute to the late, great John Lennon.

In 1971, the album "Imagine" was released.  The title track is arguably Lennon's most recognized post-Beatles song.  In honor of the 32nd anniversary of his death, here is our own version of the song.  Yes, it has Mets-themed lyrics, but these lyrics are positive and inspiring, similar to the message found in many of Lennon's songs.  Hopefully, it will serve as a fitting tribute to John Lennon and as a beacon of hope to Mets fans who never stop imagining what it would be like to win a championship.

Imagine the Mets in Game 7, it's easy if you try
Championship before us, pennant flying high
Imagine all the Mets fans
Cheering loud today

Imagine there's a win streak, it isn't hard to do
Nats and the Phils are done for, the Braves and Marlins too
Imagine all the Mets fans
With their team in first.

You...

You may say I'm a dreamer
That the day will never come
I hope someday you'll rejoice with us
When the World Series is won.

Imagine our obsession, I wonder if you can
Our need to be a winner, another title's the plan
Imagine all the Mets fans
Serious for the World

You...

You may say I'm a dreamer
That the day will never come
I hope someday you'll rejoice with us
When the World Series is won.

The Real Reason Why The Mets Should Bring Back Scott Hairston

Earlier this week, I wrote a humor piece on the real reason why the Yankees want Scott Hairston.  Today, I felt like shifting gears.  The Yankees may secretly want Scott Hairston because they still long for Joe Torre, or someone who looks like him, but the Mets should make no secret about why they should re-sign Scott Hairston.  All they have to do is read their team history books for the reason why.

This site has reported in the past that Scott Hairston set a team record by finishing the season with at least 20 homers and 20 doubles in only 377 at-bats.  Only Mike Piazza had reached the 20/20 mark in both figures in fewer than 400 at-bats prior to Hairston.  (Piazza accomplished the feat in 1998 when he compiled 394 at-bats after his trade to the Mets.)

Hairston's record came on the heels of a 2011 season in which he collected 16 extra-base hits (eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs) in 132 at-bats.  With 48 extra-base hits in 2012 (25 doubles, three triples, 20 homers), Hairston now has accumulated 64 extra-base hits in only 509 at-bats as a Met, meaning he's collected an extra-base hit in 12.57% of his at-bats.

That got me thinking.  How many other Mets players over the years have gotten an extra-base hit in at least 10% of their at-bats?  Not many.  And who has the highest percentage?  I think you can figure that out by the title of this post.

 

Player	Extra-Base Hits	At-Bats	Percentage
Scott Hairston	64	509	12.57%
Mike Cameron	98	801	12.23%
Darryl Strawberry	469	3903	12.02%
Carlos Beltran	374	3133	11.94%
Mike Piazza	415	3478	11.93%
Carlos Delgado	207	1754	11.80%
David Wright	545	4742	11.49%
Bobby Bonilla	201	1779	11.30%
Rico Brogna	89	814	10.93%
Jose Valentin	60	550	10.91%
Ike Davis	127	1171	10.85%
Cliff Floyd	178	1643	10.83%
Bernard Gilkey	146	1353	10.79%
Howard Johnson	424	3968	10.69%
John Olerud	177	1662	10.65%
Ramon Castro	74	701	10.56%
Robin Ventura	159	1513	10.51%
Ty Wigginton	104	1001	10.39%

Only 18 players in team history (min. 500 at-bats) have collected an extra-base hit in at least 10% of their at-bats.  Some of the team's all-time greats are there (Darryl Strawberry, Carlos Beltran, Mike Piazza, Howard Johnson), as is one of the team's least popular players (Bobby Bonilla).  In addition, there are fan-favorites who had short careers in New York (Rico Brogna, John Olerud, Ty Wigginton), as well as current players (David Wright, Ike Davis).

All of those players were exceptional when it came to getting extra-base hits in a Mets uniform.  And all of those players have a lower percentage than the team's all-time leader in extra-base hit percentage, Scott Hairston.

When some of the team's greatest hitters such as Jose Reyes (402 XBH in 4,453 AB), Edgardo Alfonzo (346 XBH in 3,897 AB), Cleon Jones (308 XBH in 4,223 AB) and Keith Hernandez (249 XBH in 3,164 AB) fail to make this type of list, you can imagine how exclusive it is.

The numbers don't lie.  No player in Mets history with at least 500 at-bats has given the team a better chance at collecting an extra-base hit than Scott Hairston.

And yet despite this, the Mets are reluctant to offer Hairston anything more than a one-year deal, even though Kevin Burkhardt believes that all it would take to bring Hairston back is a two-year, $9 million deal.  That's not a lot of money or commitment to a 32-year-old who's clearly one of the team's best right-handed power threats, along with the recently signed David Wright (who, in case the team has already forgotten, required $129 million more than Hairston would to stay in New York).

Sandy Alderson recently said at the Winter Meetings that the team is in need of more power at the plate.  He doesn't have to look very far to find it.  His power source has been wearing No. 12 for the Mets each of the past two seasons, stroking extra-base hits at a rate that no Met has ever reached before him.

The Real Reason Why The Yankees Want Scott Hairston

Everyone is leaving the Yankees these days.  Whether it's a free agent departure (Eric Chavez), a convenient injury that explains a Jason Bay-like slump in the postseason (Alex Rodriguez) or because douches have to replaced every once in a while (Nick Swisher), the once-mighty Yankee offense is a little less mighty these days.

The team with 27 rings and no soul has been looking for a bat or three this offseason, and one player they've been considering is Mets outfielder Scott Hairston.

Hairston, who prior to this season was known to baseball fans only as the guy who has a hot chick's ass on his Wikipedia page, finished the 2012 campaign with 20 HR and 57 RBI for the Mets.  Hairston was an extra-base hit machine for the Mets, collecting 25 doubles and three triples in addition to his 20 homers, doing all this in only 377 at-bats.  He became the first player in Mets history to reach 20 doubles and 20 homers in so few at-bats.

And Hairston also did one more thing, which was so eloquently tweeted by yours truly back in October:

Scott Hairston (20 HR) had more homers this year than A-Rod (18) in 86 fewer at-bats. But A-Rod made $27.9 million more than Hairston. #Mets
— Ed Leyro (@Studi_Metsimus) October 11, 2012

Despite that revealing tweet, that's not the real reason why the Yankees have been coveting Scott Hairston.  The real reason is because they miss a certain someone.  That someone was responsible for leading the team to four championships, including one that we won't mention because it was clinched at Shea Stadium against the Mets.

Since that someone left town after the 2007 season, the Yankees have won one championship in five years, but that one was okay because it was over the hated Phillies in 2009.  In the other four seasons, they failed to make the playoffs (2008), were bounced in the ALCS by a team that had never advanced to a World Series (Texas - 2010), were dealt with quickly in the ALDS (Detroit - 2011) and left their bats at home in an ALCS sweep (Detroit - 2012).

Am I saying that the Yankees miss their old manager, Joe Torre?  Well, if they can't get Torre to come back, then why are they looking for someone who looks eerily like him?

The Yankees are not the same team they used to be, with hitters leaving the team via free agency rather than coming to New York in similar fashion.  Clearly, they need up an offensive upgrade and a less expensive one at that.  That's why they say they're targeting Scott Hairston.  But we know the real reason why they want the power-hitting outfielder.

If the Yankees can't get Joe Torre to come back to manage the team, then they'll just have to settle for his less hirsute doppelganger as a consolation prize.  After all, they did it before when they tried to sign a douche and settled for Nick Swisher, right?

Stuck Between a Dickey and a Hard Place

I'm torn.  I've been a Mets fan since Joe Torre was the team's manager and in three-plus decades, I can't remember having a quandary such as this one.  My dilemma involves R.A. Dickey.  Do I want him to be a Met in 2013 or do I want him to be traded for a major league-ready prospect or two?  It's not a decision I would want to make.

Like he has with mostly every other Mets fan, R.A. Dickey has grown on me.  He went from a pitcher whose name was made fun of in every other tweet or blog post (I guess some habits are hard to break) to the best pitcher in the National League in just three seasons.  Needless to say, I look forward to every R.A. Dickey start.

That being said, Dickey's value is higher than anyone ever thought it would be.  One recent trade situation had the Red Sox sending their top two prospects, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, to the Mets for the 38-year-old knuckleballer.  Dickey's name has also been connected to the Dodgers and Royals.

Just like the Mets were able to pry top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler away from the Giants in the Carlos Beltran trade, they have to get top value for Dickey in any trade.  And since we're talking about the current National League Cy Young Award winner, they should have no problem getting a top talent or two.

But who would replace Dickey in the rotation?  Johan Santana is still a question mark.  Zack Wheeler is still months away from being major league ready.  Matt Harvey has ten games of big league experience.  Dillon Gee is coming off a season-ending injury.  Mike Pelfrey was shown the front door.  And therein lies the dilemma.

If R.A. Dickey is traded, the Mets have no one to step into his spot in the rotation come April 1.  The fans would also never get to hear Howie Rose utter these words on Opening Day:

"Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 National League Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey!"

Alas, trading Dickey would allow the Mets to get younger and continue to build a team around David Wright, even if this Mets blogger would love to see Dickey play out the remaining years of his major league career in Flushing.

The Mets would have an above-average pitching staff if they decided to keep Dickey.  But they would have to find another way to acquire top young talent.  Similarly, their rotation would have a gaping hole if they decided to trade Dickey, but the team would be bolstered by the influx of major league-ready prospects.

So which one do I want?  Do I want Dickey all for my own?  Or do I want Sandy Alderson to deal our ace for a potential royal flush of young talent?  I have no idea what's in the cards for R.A. Dickey.  All I know is that as a fan, I'm stuck between a Dickey and a hard place.  And I'm not sure I'm going to be satisfied with whatever ends up happening.

Ghosts of Metsimus Past: No Experience Required (Unless If You Want To Win)

Welcome to another edition of Ghosts of Metsimus Past, where we have a Dickens of a time bringing back classic Studious Metsimus posts from the past.  In today's installment, we'll conjure up a post that was originally published on November 29, 2011.

It was around this time a year ago that the Mets allowed Jose Reyes to pack his suitcase for the warmth of South Florida.  Twelve months and one fire sale later, Reyes will now be trading in his new park in warm Miami for a new parka in chilly Toronto.  While Reyes is trying to figure out what the currency exhange rate is in Canada, his former infield partner in New York is counting the currency in his recently expanded bank account.

When Wright steps onto the field on Opening Day 2013, he will become the first Met since Mookie Wilson to be a Met for ten seasons.  In 2014, Wright will become the first player to be a Met for over a decade.  Who was the last player to accomplish this rare combination of loyalty and longevity?  Well, that's where this edition of Ghosts of Metsimus Past comes in.  Enjoy!

With the impending departure of Jose Reyes, the Mets will be left with David Wright and Mike Pelfrey as the only two players who have been with the team for at least five seasons, with Wright making his debut in 2004 and Pelfrey making his first major league appearance in 2006.  It would also leave David Wright as the only player left from the Art Howe era.

If Reyes has indeed played his last game as a Met, he will have played a total of nine seasons in New York, falling one year short of the decade mark.  That got me thinking.  Do you remember the last non-pitcher to play at least ten seasons for the Mets?  Would you believe it was Mookie Wilson?

Even before his famous ten-pitch at-bat in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Mookie Wilson was a beloved Met.  He was admired by the fans and respected by his teammates.  He was also a player the team wanted to have around, as he made his major league debut as a September call-up in 1980 and remained with the team until he was traded to the Blue Jays in 1989.

Mookie Wilson played for the Mets in every season in the '80s, experiencing the highs ("little roller up along first") and lows (George Foster).  He was also the last everyday player to suit up for the Mets at least once in ten consecutive seasons.  (Lee Mazzilli also played ten years for the Mets, but his time was split into two stints, from 1976-1981 and from 1986-1989.)

To find the last non-pitcher who played more than ten seasons in New York, you have to go all the way back to a player who played his first game for the Mets during their "Ya Gotta Believe" pennant-winning season in 1973.  Ron Hodges played 12 seasons for the Mets, ending his career in 1984.  However, despite the fact that Hodges was a non-pitcher, he was far from an everyday player, never collecting more than 250 at-bats in a single season.

How much time has passed since Ron Hodges became the last non-pitcher to play more than ten seasons with the Mets?  Let's just say color photography didn't exist back then.

It's amazin' that the Mets haven't had an everyday player spend ten years with the team in over two decades and even more amazin' that it's been over a quarter century (more than half of their existence) since a non-pitcher surpassed the decade mark.

In fact, in addition to Wilson, Mazzilli and Hodges, the only other everyday players to play at least ten seasons for the Mets in their fifty-year history are John Stearns (1975-1984), Ed Kranepool (1962-1979), Jerry Grote (1966-1977), Bud Harrelson (1965-1977) and Cleon Jones (1963, 1965-1975).  That's a total of eight everyday players in 50 years to play at least ten years with the Mets.  Compare that with 15 such players on the Astros (who also came into existence in 1962).

Free agency has definitely changed the landscape of the game.  Since its advent in the 1970s, players have been more likely to move from team to team than they are to stay with one franchise.  However, every team has a homegrown star or exceptional player that they try to lock up for as long as possible.  Not every team can boast a Tony Gwynn (20 years in San Diego) or Cal Ripken, Jr. (21 years in Baltimore), but they can claim a Jay Buhner (14 years in Seattle) or Mike Sweeney (13 years in Kansas City).

It's not only small market teams that keep their players around.  Large market teams do it as well.  For example, that other team that plays in New York (their name escapes me at the moment) has had a number of ten-year everyday players since they started winning division titles and World Series championships.  Players such as Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada all played key roles on those teams.  None of those players was playing in the major leagues the last time the Mets had a non-pitcher play at least ten years for them.

Don't look at us like that, Jose.  It's true.  You really would have been the first Met everyday player since 1989 to play at least ten years with the team had you decided to stay.

 

If Jose Reyes leaves the Mets during the offseason, he will fall one year short of reaching the decade mark, leaving it up to David Wright to try to end the streak in 2013.  Of course, he might be traded by then.  If that ends us happening, the longest-tenured everyday player on the Mets would be (get ready for this) Angel Pagan, assuming he's still on the team as well.

A good team has to have youth and a core of veterans who can share their wisdom and experiences with those novices.  Players who have seen the highs and lows (a la Mookie Wilson) are always key members of a winning team.  They've been in the clubhouse long enough and can help bring the team together in ways that can't be seen in a boxscore.

It's been almost a quarter century since the Mets have had a veteran like Mookie Wilson play at least ten years with the team.  It's also been a quarter century since the Mets last won a championship.  That's not a coincidence.

A Different Kind of Mets Top Ten Leaderboard (Pitchers)

As I was perusing through the Saturday New York Times sports section, I came across an article by Tyler Kepner on the recent signing of David Wright.  Kepner poses an interesting question when he asks: "Has there been a single important Met before this decade who did not play in the World Series?"

Of course, David Wright has never played in a World Series for the Mets, coming closest in 2006 when the Mets fell one game short of the Fall Classic.  But Kepner's article got me thinking about other Mets who performed well for the team but never got a chance to participate on baseball's greatest stage.

If you're a regular reader of Studious Metsimus, you know that I enjoy discussing the Mets' all-time leaderboards.  But what would those leaderboards look like if they consisted of only those players who never played in the World Series for the Mets?  It would look very interesting indeed, and in some cases, quite shocking.

So sit back, kick off your Mets slippers and enjoy this special Mets leaderboard, which lists the top ten in each pitching category using only Mets players who never appeared for the team in the World Series.  (Thanks to baseball-reference.com for the leaderboard assistance.)  You might need to borrow one of Davey Johnson's old bottles of Rolaids after reading the list.

(For the hitting leaders who never played in the World Series, please click here.)

Pitching Leaders For Mets Who Never Played In The World Series


Wins
 

Rank	Pitcher	Wins	Innings Pitched
1.	David Cone	81	1209.1
2.	Steve Trachsel	66	956.1
3.	Tom Glavine	61	1005.1
4.	Craig Swan	59	1230.2
5.	Mike Pelfrey	50	896.1
6.	Johan Santana	46	717.0
7.	Al Jackson	43	980.2
8.	Pat Zachry	41	741.2
T-9.	John Maine	39	542.0
T-9.	R.A. Dickey	39	616.2

Earned Run Average
 

Rank	Pitcher	ERA	Innings Pitched
1.	R.A. Dickey	2.95	616.2
2.	David Cone	3.13	1209.1
3.	Bret Saberhagen	3.16	524.1
4.	Johan Santana	3.18	717.0
5.	Frank Viola	3.31	566.1
6.	Jim McAndrew	3.54	729.2
7.	Pat Zachry	3.63	741.2
8.	Craig Swan	3.72	1230.2
9.	Ed Lynch	3.82	730.1
10.	Pete Falcone	3.91	607.2

Win-Loss Percentage
 

Rank	Pitcher	W-L Pct.	Innings Pitched
1.	David Cone	.614	1209.1
2.	R.A. Dickey	.582	616.2
3.	Pedro Martinez	.582	486.2
4.	Bret Saberhagen	.580	524.1
5.	Johan Santana	.575	717.0
6.	John Maine	.549	542.0
7.	Frank Viola	.543	566.1
8.	Steve Trachsel	.528	956.1
9.	Jonathon Niese	.522	561.0
10.	Tom Glavine	.521	1005.1

Walks Plus Hits Per Innings Pitched
 

Rank	Pitcher	WHIP	Innings Pitched
1.	Bret Saberhagen	1.079	524.1
2.	R.A. Dickey	1.150	616.2
3.	Jim McAndrew	1.184	729.2
4.	David Cone	1.192	1209.1
5.	Johan Santana	1.201	717.0
6.	Frank Viola	1.240	566.1
7.	Craig Swan	1.267	1230.2
8.	John Maine	1.312	542.0
9.	Jack Fisher	1.320	931.2
10.	Ed Lynch	1.332	730.1

Games Pitched
 

Rank	Pitcher	Games Pitched	Innings Pitched
1.	Pedro Feliciano	459	372.1
2.	Aaron Heilman	305	450.1
3.	Jeff Innis	288	360.0
4.	Bobby Parnell	249	256.1
5.	Craig Swan	229	1230.2
6.	Skip Lockwood	227	379.2
7.	Neil Allen	223	381.2
8.	David Cone	187	1209.1
9.	Randy Myers	185	240.0
T-10.	Bob Apodaca	184	361.1
T-10.	Al Jackson	184	980.2

Games Started
 

Rank	Pitcher	Games Started	Innings Pitched
1.	Craig Swan	184	1230.2
2.	David Cone	169	1209.1
3.	Tom Glavine	164	1005.1
4.	Steve Trachsel	160	956.1
5.	Mike Pelfrey	149	896.1
6.	Al Jackson	138	980.2
7.	Jack Fisher	133	931.2
8.	Pat Zachry	113	741.2
9.	Johan Santana	109	717.0
10.	Jim McAndrew	105	729.2

Strikeouts
 

Rank	Pitcher	Strikeouts	Innings Pitched
1.	David Cone	1172	1209.1
2.	Craig Swan	671	1230.2
3.	Johan Santana	607	717.0
4.	Steve Trachsel	580	956.1
5.	Al Jackson	561	980.2
6.	Tom Glavine	516	1005.1
7.	Mike Pelfrey	506	896.1
8.	Oliver Perez	494	520.0
9.	Jack Fisher	475	931.2
10.	Jonathon Niese	470	561.0

Saves
 

Rank	Pitcher	Saves	Innings Pitched
1.	Billy Wagner	101	189.2
2.	Francisco Rodriguez	83	168.0
3.	Neil Allen	69	381.2
4.	Skip Lockwood	65	379.2
5.	Braden Looper	57	142.2
6.	Randy Myers	56	240.0
7.	Bob Apodaca	26	361.1
8.	Danny Frisella	24	353.0
9.	Frank Francisco	23	42.1
T-10.	Cal Koonce	18	246.2
T-10.	Anthony Young	18	270.2