Unofficial fan projectThe Mets Powerhouse
David Cone
Starting pitcher · Mets 1987–1992, 2003
The part fans remember
What the numbers leave out.
Cone pitched like he was daring hitters to beat him. The strikeouts were loud, the emotions were obvious, and his 1988 season turned him into the next ace of the powerhouse Mets.
The Mets acquired Cone from Kansas City before the 1987 season in a trade that looked minor at the time. A year later he went 20–3 with a 2.22 ERA, helped the Mets win 100 games, and finished third in the Cy Young vote. His fastball, slider, and fearless attitude made him a perfect fit for the team’s confident personality.
Cone could also bring trouble toward himself. A badly timed newspaper column during the 1988 NLCS gave Los Angeles extra motivation, and some off-field controversies made his Mets years feel busier than the pitching alone. Still, he kept taking the ball and piling up strikeouts. His 19-strikeout shutout on the final day of 1991 was a perfect display of his talent.
The rebuilding Mets traded him to Toronto in 1992, and he helped the Blue Jays win the World Series. More than a decade later he returned for one final season in 2003. That comeback did not last long, but seeing number 16 back on the mound connected two very different eras of Mets baseball.
The honest version
The best stretch
Cone’s 1988–90 peak made him the next great arm in a rotation already crowded with them. In 1988 he went 20–3 with a 2.22 ERA and finished third in the Cy Young vote as the Mets won 100 games. He attacked hitters with confidence and a deep collection of pitches, never looking afraid of a full count or a dangerous lineup.
The part that got messy
His Mets years included both brilliance and noise. A poorly timed newspaper column helped fire up the Dodgers during the 1988 NLCS, but Cone answered by winning Game 6 on the road. In the final game of the 1991 season, he struck out 19 Phillies, matching the National League record. Even on a team beginning to fall apart, his starts could still produce something unforgettable.
Why fans still care
The Mets traded him in 1992, and he went on to win championships elsewhere before returning briefly in 2003. That later success sometimes makes his first Mets run feel like a beginning instead of a complete story. It was complete enough: an All-Star, a 20-game winner, a strikeout leader, and one of the smartest pitchers of his generation during six important seasons in Queens.
Cone had the confidence of a pitcher who believed he could strike out anyone, and plenty of evidence to support it. His 20–3 season helped make the 1988 Mets look unbeatable, while the 19-strikeout finale in 1991 showed how overwhelming he could still be. The Mets traded him twice and brought him back at 40, which says something about how naturally he remained part of the franchise’s story.
Signature Mets momentWent 20–3 in 1988 and struck out 19 Phillies in his final start of 1991.
The short list
The stuff worth remembering.
- 01Two-time Mets All-Star
- 021988 NL strikeout leader
- 0320-win season