Time Traveler Tuesdays : An Ace, a Turncoat, and a Hall of Fame closer: The Mets Pitchers of the 2000s Provided a Lot of Drama and Huge Moments
- Manny Fantis
- Jun 23
- 2 min read
The Mets spent much of the 2000s searching for certainty on the mound. They found it in different forms: Johan Santana’s ace-level brilliance, Billy Wagner’s late-inning force, and Tom Glavine’s veteran steadiness.
All three are legendary in their own ways. One was the peak. One was the power arm at the back of the bullpen. One was the innings-eater whose numbers were strong, even if his legacy in New York remains complicated.
Santana was the best Mets pitcher of the 2000s by pure statistical quality. His stay in the decade was brief, covering only the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but his impact was immediate. After arriving from Minnesota, Santana gave the Mets the kind of true No. 1 starter they had lacked for years. He went 29-16 with a 2.78 ERA, striking out 352 batters over 401 innings.
His 2008 season remains the centerpiece. Santana pitched like an ace from April through September, carrying a rotation that needed every inning he could give. He finished that year with a 2.53 ERA, more than 230 innings, and the reputation of a pitcher who could still control a game on his own terms. At his best, Santana did not simply keep the Mets competitive. He made them feel protected.
Wagner gave them a different kind of comfort. When the Mets signed him before the 2006 season, they were not looking for patience or development. They were looking for the ninth inning to belong to someone. Wagner made it his.
The left-hander was the Mets’ most dominant reliever of the decade, recording 101 saves with a 2.37 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 230 strikeouts. He did not have the longest Mets tenure, but few relievers in franchise history paired command, velocity and intimidation quite the way Wagner did. His outings were built on urgency. The fastball came hard, the at-bats moved quickly and the Mets often walked off the field with the game sealed.
Then there was Glavine, whose Mets career is harder to summarize because it carries both volume and baggage. Statistically, he belongs in the conversation. From 2003 through 2007, Glavine threw more than 1,000 innings for the Mets, won 61 games and posted a 3.97 ERA.
Glavine’s time in New York will always be colored by the collapse of 2007, particularly his final start as a Met. However, for five seasons, he was one of the team’s most important pitchers. He helped bridge the Mets from the early-2000s decline to the 2006 division-winning club, offering a veteran presence in a rotation that often lacked stability.
On top of that, he'll always be remembered as a hated Atlanta Braves player, so his time on the Mets isn't always celebrated as it should be.
The decade was defined by Glavine’s workload, Wagner’s ninth innings, and Santana’s ace-level peak. The 2000s Mets had a lot of big-name pitchers roll through Shea, but these three players were the centerpieces of the decade.
Comments