Mets Madness Series Preview: 1973 Mets vs. 2007 Mets

The “Ya Gotta Believe” 1973 Mets take on the talented 2007 Mets, known for their September collapse, in the first round of Mets Madness with Out of the Park Baseball. The matchup is a study in contrast: the 1973 team’s biggest strength was their pitching and the 2007 Mets were led by a dynamic lineup; the 1973 NL Champs went 24-9 in their final 33 games while the 2007 team lost 12 of their last 17 games during their September collapse.

The 1973 Mets

The incredible finish to the 1973 season propelled the Mets into the Postseason, past the Big Red Machine, and into the World Series. Can they find that magic formula again and begin a deep run in the Mets Madness tournament?

If the 1973 Mets advance, it’ll be on the strength of their starting rotation. Buoyed by Tom Seaver’s second Cy Young-winning campaign and a breakout season from George Stone, the Mets pitching staff allowed the third-fewest runs in MLB.

Offensively, the Mets will have to rely on timely clutch hitting from the likes of Rusty Staub, Felix Millan, and John Milner in a lineup that generated the second-fewest runs in MLB. Staub led the team with 76 RBI (and who can forget his 1973 World Series performance), while Millan paced the team with a .290 batting average, and Milner provided a team-leading 23 home runs.

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The 2007 Mets

Despite the collapse, the 2007 team won 88 games – six better than the 1973 team – and could be ready for the upset.

The lineup stars David Wright in his best year, sporting a .963 OPS, his only 30/30 season, and his first Gold Glove. Carlos Beltrán led the club with 33 home runs and 112 RBI. These Mets easily led MLB with 200 stolen bases, a team-record 78 coming from José Reyes.

The pitching staff may not be as vaunted as 1973’s, but there are enough quality arms to get the job done. The rotation features Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, and the best full seasons the Mets got out of John Maine and Oliver Pérez (15 wins each). The bullpen has strong depth with Billy Wagner, Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman in his best season, and a strong rookie year from Joe Smith.

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