Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael Griffin
Every baseball team needs that one superstar who can define them. They’re so good that when a person mentions that team, others think of that player. The Yankees have had a ton of them, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter. The Mets needed someone to build around, and that came in the form of Tom Seaver. The Mets famously acquired him after his initial contract with the Atlanta Braves was voided, winning his rights in a special lottery. He was so good, so fast that he became known as “The Franchise” and “Tom Terrific.” Here are 16 moments that defined his incredible career. Beware, Mets fans; some of this might trigger bad memories.
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July 19, 1967 – 12 Ks vs Astros
The Mets brought Seaver along fairly quickly after acquiring him in 1966. They had a feeling they had someone special, and Tom showed his skills off in a relatively empty Shea Stadium. He struck out 12 Houston batters. Although Jim Lovell and the Apollo 13 crew wouldn’t have their famous incident until 1970, Astros fans probably felt like calling their front office and telling them, “Houston, we’ve got a problem. His name’s Tom Seaver.”
June 20, 1968 – 12 Ks vs. Astros
Like a recurring villain in horror movies, Seaver came back to haunt the Astros again the following season. Again, he sent a dozen Astros hitters back to the dugout, shaking their heads. They shouldn’t have felt bad. Tom Terrific was already known for causing hitters to look inept. His rocket ride to stardom was well underway.
September 29, 1968 – 11 K’s in Loss to Phillies
There are times when you pitch great and still wind up with the L. Future Mets ace Jacob deGrom would have agreed with Seaver here. He struck out 11 but lost, a frustrating end to a brilliant season.
July 9, 1969 – The ‘Imperfect Game’ and Jimmy ‘Bleeping’ Qualls
Seaver was on the cusp of one of baseball’s greatest achievements — a perfect game. It would have been amazing (pun intended) for The Franchise to pitch the franchise’s first no-hitter. Alas, rookie Jimmy Qualls hit a clean single with one out in the ninth. After looking disappointed for a second, the ace got the next two outs to finish with a one-hitter.
October 15, 1969 – Pitching the Mets to a World Series Title
Three years after being acquired by a hapless team, Seaver helped bring the Mets their first World Series. He went 25-7, collecting his first Cy Young award. Tom Terrific wound up running to join the celebration at the mound – see No. 41 in the picture. Amazing, indeed.
April 22, 1970 – 19 Ks vs Padres
The San Diego hitters were about to learn what the rest of the league already knew: The Franchise was a force of nature. He struck out 19 batters, including a record 10 in a row. That’s not a misprint. This performance put him on top of baseball’s Mount Olympus.
May 15, 1970 – 15 Ks vs. Phillies
Seaver was putting up strikeout totals like his former rotation-mate Nolan Ryan. The thing was, he had better control, averaging around two to three walks per nine innings, while Ryan had nearly double that. That’s why it wasn’t surprising that he struck out 15 Phillies on this day.
August 1, 1970 – 13 Ks vs Padres
The Padres’ hitters probably confidently told each other after the game: “We held him to 13!” This was the team that Seaver had whiffed 19 times earlier in the year. When The Franchise was feeling it, there was no touching his pitches.
April 16, 1971 – 14 Ks vs Pirates
Another year, another season of strikeouts. This was one stellar game in a season that saw him lead the league with 289 strikeouts. In the interest of keeping it short, this was the fourth season in a row where he had at least 200 K’s. He would have nine seasons in a row of 200+ before having a mere 196.
1973 – So Close to Another World Series Win
Tug McGraw and Seaver had Mets fans chanting, “Ya Gotta Believe!” They almost pulled off another Miracle, but Reggie Jackson and the A’s wouldn’t be denied. The ace right-hander had to comfort himself with his second Cy Young Award.
The No-Hitter Against the Cardinals That Silenced Busch Stadium
This is one of those moments that might upset Mets fans. After the stunning 1977 trade that saw Seaver sent to Cincinnati, the Shea faithful could only watch from afar as their former ace threw his first, and only, no-hitter in ‘78. Eagle-eyed fans might notice another Reds player who later played a part in ‘86: Ray Knight.
3,000 Strikeouts
Cover your eyes again, Mets fans. Seaver added to his pile of accolades by reaching career strikeout 3,000 on April 18, 1981. Ironically, his victim was future Mets legend Keith Hernandez, who was on the Cardinals at the time. Another tidbit: Hernandez was in the lineup for both the ‘78 no-hitter and No. 3,000. I don’t think he held any grudges …
Career Win No. 300
There was a brief ray of sunshine. Seaver returned to the Mets in 1983, and it felt like everything was right again. Then that off-season, the Mets left the then 38-year-old unprotected. The Chicago White Sox selected him in the free-agent compensation draft. Again, Shea faithful had to watch as Tom won game No. 300 of his career in a White Sox uniform. The only soothing thing: He did it against the hated Yankees.
Three Cy Youngs. Count ‘Em … Three
While Seaver had three Cy Youngs to put on his display case, he could’ve had more. He finished in the Top 3 of voting three other times. Imagine how heavy that display case would have been with six of those trophies. There was a reason why he was called Tom Terrific.
Leaving the Game As a Met
Although he was a member of the Boston Red Sox team that faced the Mets in the 1986 World Series, Seaver was inactive for the series due to a knee injury. The following year, he decided to try to end his baseball career wearing the blue and orange again. He signed with the team that gave him his first shot, but it wasn’t to be. The pitching legend decided to hang up his spikes without pitching in a game that season. Still, he got to call himself a Met one last time.
41 Forever
The Mets didn’t waste time after Seaver called it quits. They declared that no member of the team would ever wear his Number 41 ever again. There was an emotional ceremony at Shea Stadium. Citi Field also honors the legendary right-hander with both a statue and a number on the outfield wall. Tom Terrific … always a Met.