Q: Who was the last former MVP to play for the New York Mets?
A: Justin Verlander—and that’s probably the most interesting thing to say about Verlander’s tenure in Queens.
For those who blocked the 2023 season completely from their memory, the Mets signed Verlander to a two-year, $86.7 million contract ahead of the 2023 season, tying him with Max Scherzer for the highest average annual value in baseball history.
And then he got a late start and took his time ramping up, and the Mets were essentially out of the pennant chase by the time he was in full swing.