When the Astros traded infielder Danny Heep to the New York Mets for pitcher Mike Scott after the 1982 season, there seemed little noteworthy about the exchange of two mediocre players barely able to earn their salary. After a miserable season in 1984, a desperate Scott met with pitching coach Roger Craig to learn a new pitch: the split-finger fastball.

The new pitch nearly turned Scott into a modern-day Koufax. Over the next five seasons, Scott would win 86 games including a 20-win season in 1989. But 1986 was his best year. Scott won 18 games while leading the league with 306 strikeouts and a 2.22 ERA. He dominated the Mets in the NLCS and was named the NL Cy Young winner. An All-Star in 1986, 1987 and 1989, Scott developed arm problems and struggled through the 1990 season before retiring. The club honored his accomplishments by retiring his uniform number after the 1992 season.