Juan Soto opted out of this year's Home Run Derby, which means no current Mets player will be stepping up to the plate in the annual slugfest. If that's got you feeling a little bummed about the derby, maybe it's time to fire up some old highlights and reminisce about the Mets players who brought some serious thunder in years past.
When a Strawberry Took the Crown (Literally)
Before the Mets went on to win the 1986 World Series, their homegrown superstar outfielder, Darryl Strawberry, took home a share of the Home Run Derby crown. He was the first Met ever to win it, and that season he led the team with 27 dingers. What's absolutely wild is he won it by hitting just four home runs! Seriously, four! That sounds like a warm-up drill by today's standards, but back then, from 1985-1990, guys got two "innings" of five outs each. Strawberry matched California Angels slugger Wally Joyner, beating out names like Jose Canseco and Dave Parker in the process. The absolute best part of that derby? Strawberry hit a speaker in the ceiling of the Astrodome. Just a few months later, the Mets made their own magic in that same stadium, beating the Astros in 16 innings to win Game 6 of the NLCS and advance to the Fall Classic.
Strawberry came back in 1990 to defend his crown, but it was a completely different story. He put up a goose egg, zero home runs. Don't feel too bad for him, though, because the entire field of eight participants combined for just five home runs total. Folks still remember it as the worst Home Run Derby ever, thanks to the swirling winds at Wrigley Field that pretty much turned every long ball into a pop fly. The hometown crowd still got a hero, as Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg hit three homers to win, topping guys like Mark McGwire (one) and Matt Williams (one) in a field that just couldn't get the ball out of the park.
HoJo's Big Season and Derby Appearance
Even though the Mets missed the playoffs in 1989 after a monster 100-win 1988 campaign, Howard Johnson had the best season of his career. HoJo went absolutely nuclear, putting up a career-best 6.9 bWAR. He went full 30-40-40, smashing 36 home runs, swiping 41 stolen bases, and crushing 41 doubles. That unbelievable season earned him his first All-Star game nod, and he got to participate in the Home Run Derby too. Unfortunately, HoJo only managed to hit two dingers in that derby, which still used the old format Strawberry was in. Eric Davis and Ruben Sierra ended up taking home a share of the crown that year, each hitting three homers.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.