How 2012 actually went.
The season contained two of the greatest pitching stories in franchise history. On June 1, Johan Santana threw the first Mets no-hitter after 50 years of waiting. The 134-pitch effort, Beltrán’s disputed foul ball, and Mike Baxter’s catch against the wall turned the night into a mix of joy and danger.
R.A. Dickey then carried the summer. He threw consecutive one-hitters, won 20 games, led the league in strikeouts, and captured the Cy Young Award with a knuckleball nobody could square up. David Wright remained the everyday center of the lineup and passed several franchise career marks.
The team around those achievements collapsed in the second half and finished 74–88. Santana’s body could not hold up after the no-hitter, while Dickey was traded at peak value for a package including Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud. The record was forgettable; the no-hitter, Cy Young, and trade shaped years of Mets history.
After waiting 8,019 games for a no-hitter, Mets fans received one—and then a Cy Young season as a bonus.