The New York Mets will unveil a statue at Citi Field honoring late pitcher Tom Seaver prior to their home opener on April 15 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Newsday's Tim Healey.
Seaver, who died in August 2020, spent 12 of his 20 big-league seasons with the Mets. He amassed a 2.57 ERA (136 ERA+) and a 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio during his time with New York. He also won 198 of his career 311 games, and produced some 76 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference's calculations.
The Mets had planned to honor Seaver at their first home game all along, according to Healey, but the owner-imposed lockout caused the schedule to be pushed back. Now, Seaver's day will coincide with Jackie Robinson Day, meaning both the Mets and the Diamondbacks will be wearing the No. 42.
Seaver began his career with the Mets after signing with them as an amateur free agent in 1966. More than a decade later, in June of 1977, the Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for four players. Seaver would be traded back to the Mets in 1982 before finishing his career with stints with the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox.
Seaver finished his career with 12 All-Star Game appearances and three ERA titles. He won three Cy Young Awards and was named the Rookie of the Year Award recipient in 1967. His overall career marks saw him post a 2.86 ERA (127 ERA+) and a 2.62 strikeout-to-walk ratio, as well as 109.9 Wins Above Replacement.
Seaver was inducted into the Hall of Fame after receiving 98.8 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1992. His plaque features a Mets cap.
