Inside The Mets

When the Mets Will Honor 40th Anniversary of 1986 World Series Team

The New York Mets are planning a special celebration to honor the 40th anniversary of their 1986 World Series championship team in August.
Mike Phillips|
Jul 9, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; Former New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez at the ceremony for his jersey retirement at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Jul 9, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; Former New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez at the ceremony for his jersey retirement at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

The New York Mets have high hopes of making a deep postseason run in 2026, with the timing of this season being quite interesting in their history. 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the franchise's last World Series crown, when the Mets topped the Boston Red Sox in seven games with Mookie Wilson's ground ball through the legs of Bill Buckner in extra innings capping one of the craziest games in baseball history.

The Mets have made sure to commemorate the success of that team at every available opportunity, holding reunions in both 2006 and 2016 to celebrate the 20th and 30th anniversaries of that title respectively. That trend will continue in 2026 as the Mets have announced plans to hold a reunion for the members of the 1986 team prior to their game on August 1st against the Miami Marlins.

The franchise has leaned heavily on 1986 nostalgia with their promotional giveaways this season, having four separate bobblehead giveaways for members of the 1986 team (which will require a separate ticket purchase to access the item), a replica 1986 World Series championship ring and a 1986 World Series champion retro T-shirt.

The Mets have indicated that further details of the ceremony will be released at a later time. Owner Steve Cohen has made a point to focus more on honoring the franchise's history since he purchased the team back in 2020, so there is a chance that this ceremony gets a bit of a glow up compared to past celebrations of the 1986 team.

Which 1986 Mets Could Attend The Anniversary Celebration

The Mets should have plenty of notable faces present for the celebration, including SNY broadcasters Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, who have called games for the franchise for years. Mookie Wilson figures to be a lock for attendance since he is still an active ambassador for the team while Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden both had their numbers retired in 2024.

This will be the first reunion without the presence of manager Davey Johnson, who passed away late in 2025, while star catcher Gary Carter's family was present in 2016 after he passed in 2012. Time will tell what Cohen and the organization have planned to celebrate the franchise's most recent champion, but the day figures to be a sellout at Citi Field.

Plans for the Mets' 2026 promotional days and celebrations are still unfolding, given news today that the team is planning to induct both Bobby Valentine and Lee Mazzilli into the Mets' Hall of Fame while working on a separate ceremony for newly-minted Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran that will also include a number retirement.

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Mike Phillips
MIKE PHILLIPS

Mike Phillips is a contributor to the Mets On SI site. Mike has been covering the Mets since 2011 for various websites, including Metstradamus and Kiners Korner. Mike has a Masters Degree from Iona University in Sports Communications and Media and also has experience covering the NFL and college basketball on FanSided. Mike also hosts his own New York sports based podcast. You can follow Mike on Twitter/X and Instagram: @MPhillips331.

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