If Jerry Koosman is underappreciated, what is Jon Matlack? The third of the great New York Mets pitchers in the 1970s, each played in the shadow of Tom Seaver who, in his own way, should be more highly representative of all-time greatness than he really is. Mets fans love him. A near unanimous Hall of Fame selection confirms we’re not alone. And yet it doesn’t quite feel like Seaver gets the accolades he fully deserves as an all-time top pitcher in the game.
A part of it might be the Cy Young snubs. Seaver won three and should have had at least four.