Looking back at Wilson Ramos’s 26 game hit-streak

After one calendar month of Mets games, Wilson Ramos ended his hit streak with an 0-4 performance in yesterday’s victory against Washington. From August 3 to September 3, Ramos collected a hit in 26 consecutive games, good for the longest hit streak in the MLB this season and tying David Wright for the second-longest streak in franchise history. Ramos caught fire not long after the trade deadline, in the midst of the Mets’ second-half resurgence. Prior to the start of the streak, Ramos was hitting .256/.330/.377, and wondered if the Mets would trade him at deadline. But once July 31 passed and he remained a Met, Ramos settled in.

“In the beginning, as soon as I heard the first thing about the trade rumors, I got a little down because I want to be here for the years that they signed me,” Ramos told Mike Puma of the New York Post. “But I know this business already: We’re here and we don’t know tomorrow. But after the trade deadline I cleared my mind a little bit.”

Over the 26-game streak, Ramos hit a sizzling .430/.452/.590, and the team went a modest 14-12 in those games. Earlier in the season, questions about Ramos’ defense made Mets fans wonder if the catcher did enough to warrant being the everyday starter. However, Ramos effectively silenced the doubters in August, proving that his bat was too valuable to keep out of the lineup. Now that Ramos proved to be mortal again after an 0-4 showing yesterday, it’s time to look back at some of the best moments from one of the most impressive feats in the majors this season:

August 3: Mets at Pirates

If Ramos’ hit streak had to be described in just one game, this one would be it. Ramos began his hit streak with a mammoth performance, going 4-5 with 6 RBI at PNC Park. The Mets needed every bit of Ramos’ heroics, as he hit a go-ahead 2-run homer in the eighth inning and helped start an eight-game win streak that would transform the Mets’ season.

August 10: Nationals vs. Mets

Similar to how Ramos played a critical role in the first game of the win streak, he also came through in the eighth one, blasting a game-tying home run into the second deck. There are few things in baseball as satisfying as back-to-back home runs, and of course it was Ramos who was right in the middle of one of the most euphoric weeks of Mets baseball in quite some time.

August 22: Indians vs. Mets

Perhaps the last time that Mets fans felt legitimate optimism about this season, the Mets completed a sweep of the Indians with a rain-shortened 2-0 win. Noah Syndergaard dominated the Indians lineup, and Ramos drove in both runs with a one-out double in the fourth. In 116 at-bats this season, Ramos is hitting .328 with runners in scoring position, affirming his excellent situational hitting skills.

August 30: Mets at Phillies

Coming off a pair of demoralizing sweeps at home against the Braves and Cubs, Ramos put his hit streak on the line in a do-or-die moment at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets trailed the Phillies 1-0 when Ramos came on to pinch hit with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. Ramos lined the 1-1 offering into center field for a massive single, tying the game and breaking up an Aaron Nola shutout. The Mets didn’t look back after that, scoring another 10 runs after Ramos broke the ice.

September 3: Mets at Nationals

The last game of Ramos’ hit streak also felt like the last game of the Mets’ season. Ramos drove in the first of a four-run fourth inning against Max Scherzer that might as well have been a different game from what transpired after that. Whatever happens over the final 23 games of the season, Ramos’s hit streak confirmed his talent as a hitter and as a piece that would be incredibly useful for a contending team.