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[Cowtipper]

It's not often the Mets finish a season without a single pitcher appearing in 50 or more games. But that's exactly what happened in 2026. Can you name the last time, excluding 2020, that that happened? Can you name the pitcher who led the team in appearances that season?

Year: 2026
Player: ?

Year: 1994 (strike-shortened)
Player: John Franco, 47 appearances

Year: 1981 (strike-shortened)
Player: Neil Allen, 43 appearances

Year: 1965
Player: Jack Fisher, 43 appearances

Teams whose leader had exactly 50 appearances:

1.
2.
3.

2020 appearance leader: 

[Cowtipper]

Anyone wanna give this a shot?

[Cowtipper]

Hint: The team featured Jose Vizcaino, Jim Lindeman and Joe Orsulak.

[whippoorwill]

Billy Wagner

[Cowtipper]

Good guess, but it was further back than Billy Wagner. 

Hint: Dallas Green was the manager.

[Cowtipper]

Today's hint: It was a strike year. 

[Centerfield]

So 1994. How about a season where they played all 162?

[Cowtipper]

1994 is correct! Can anyone name the pitcher who led the 1994 Mets in appearances?

And can anyone name the time before 1994 that the Mets' pitching appearances had less than 50 appearances? And who was it? 

[whippoorwill]

I don’t get the question. Aren’t there a lot of guys that had less then 50? 

[Cowtipper]

The question was asking when was the last time a Mets team didn't have a single pitcher with 50 or more appearances. It was 1994, though the question as to who led the team in appearances that year remains unanswered. Now, we're also asking, when was the last time before 1994 that a Mets team didn't feature a single 50-appearance pitcher, and who led the team that year? And we'll extend it once more beyond that -- when was the last time before then that a Mets team didn't have a single 50-appearance pitcher, and who was the team leader then? 

[whippoorwill]

Okay now I get it!

unfortunately that was the one period in my life I wasn’t watching, so someone else will get it :)

[Cowtipper]

Hint for the 1994 pitching leader: The Mets traded Kip Gross and Randy Myers for him. 

[The Hot Corner]

The Mets traded Randy Myers to the Reds for John Franco.  It makes sense he would lead the team in appearances as the new closer.

[whippoorwill]

Pat Mahomes? Just another wild guess

[Cowtipper]

John Franco is correct. He had 47 appearances. #2 on the list is the real "who?" here: Roger Mason, with 41 appearances. I was intrigued to learn Franco averaged just 46 appearances per year from 1990 to 1996. 

Now, before 1994, when was the last time the Mets didn't have a single pitcher with 50 or more appearances? And the real fun part of the question: Who was the pitcher who led the team that year? 

[Cowtipper]

Hint: It was another strike year. And the pitcher who led the club in appearances was traded with Rick Ownbey to the St. Louis Cardinals for Keith Hernandez. 

And since that should give the answer away, when was the last (and only other) full season (162 games) in which a Mets team didn't have a single pitcher with 50 or more appearances? 

Hint: The team featured Roy McMillan, Ed Kranepool and Johnny Lewis. The pitcher who led the club in appearances was traded with Buddy Booker, Tommy Davis and Billy Wynne to the Chicago White Sox for Tommie Agee and Al Weis. He also led the league in losses that year. 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Neil Allen.

 

This is a pretty goofy quiz. Impossible questions, easy hints

[Cowtipper]

Well, no one was answering before the hints :/

Neil Allen is correct! What was the year? 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

82

[Cowtipper]

1981 was not the strike year, however you are close. 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

sorry I wasn't reading. It was 81.

 

I;m tellin ya we've had better Kwizzes

[Cowtipper]

1981 is correct! And finally, all that stuff was mostly to get to this: 

When was the last (and only other) full season (162 games) in which a Mets team didn't have a single pitcher with 50 or more appearances? 

Hint: The team featured Roy McMillan, Ed Kranepool and Johnny Lewis. The pitcher who led the club in appearances was traded with Buddy Booker, Tommy Davis and Billy Wynne to the Chicago White Sox for Tommie Agee and Al Weis. He also led the league in losses that year. 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Fat Jack Fisher in 1965

[Cowtipper]

That's correct! Good job, well done.

Now, there's been only a handful of teams (3) whose appearances leader had EXACTLY 50 appearances. Can you name those seasons, and the team-leading pitchers? 

And we know the 2026 appearances leader didn't have even 50 appearances. But can anyone name the 2026 team leader in appearances? 

And finally, a bonus: Who led the team in appearances in the truncated 2020 campaign? 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

No.

I feel like a straight quiz of leading appearances guys by season would encourage more participation and guessing fun.

[The Hot Corner]

Wasn't 2020 the year that Edwin Diaz turned it around as a Met?  So i will go with him for most appearances.