It had been seven years since the last time New York Mets starter Robert Stock won an MLB game. That drought ended in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
The last time Stock won a game was April 5, 2019. Back then, he was a pitcher for the San Diego Padres. The manager of the Padres that season was Andy Green, who is now the current manager of the Mets.
MLB’s Sarah Langs notes that this is the fourth time in MLB history a pitcher went more than seven calendar years between wins, and those two wins under the same manager. The previous three were Travis Blackley, Jing Johnson, and Ray Prim.
Robert Stock is the 4th pitcher in MLB history to go 7+ calendar years between wins *with each coming under the same manager*
7/1/04-6/15/12 Travis Blackley-Bob Melvin: 7y 350d9/10/1919-7/11/27 Jing Johnson-Connie Mack: 7y 304d9/23/35-5/31/43 Ray Prim-Jimmie Wilson: 7y 250d… https://t.co/BLYi7wFEd4
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 1, 2026
Mets Starter Robert Stock Picks Up First MLB Win Since 2019GettyRobert Stock picked up his first win since 2019 at Tropicana Field in the Mets’ 3-2 triumph over the Rays. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Once upon a time, Robert Stock was a flamethrowing reliever. In 2019, he averaged 97.9 MPH with his fastball. Now, he sits just under 96 MPH with that same heater seven years later.
Stock’s career has taken a lot of crazy turns. Injuries and poor control have caused him to bounce around the world for opportunities to pitch. That included stops in the KBO and Mexican Leagues.
However, Stock signed a minor league deal with the Mets before the season. He had reinvented himself as a sidearmer. The right-hander eventually worked his way back into the rotation due to injuries.
He hadn’t pitched well in his first five starts, with a 7.40 ERA across 20.2 innings. Against the Rays, he held them scoreless for 5.1 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. The Mets bullpen got the final 11 outs to preserve the win, despite a rough eighth inning.
Just getting to the major leagues again as a starting pitcher is already a strong enough accomplishment for Stock. But he’ll have something to remember for the 2026 season, regardless of how it ends.
Robert Stock Opens Up About First Win in 7 YearsGettyRobert Stock’s victory over the Rays continues an impressive comeback story for the Mets right-hander. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)After picking up his first win in seven years, Robert Stock spoke with the media. In the SNYtv Mets broadcast, he discussed picking up the win after the game with Chelsea Janes.
“It’s really cool,” said Stock. “It takes a whole team to win the game, and you saw that tonight with how great our defense was, how good our hitters were in the second half of the game. It’s great when you step back, and you look at how long it’s been. I can both feel good about the team and myself.”
Robert Stock says it's "really cool" to get his first MLB win in over seven years:
"It takes a whole team to win the game and you saw that tonight with how great our defense was, how good our hitters were in the second half of the game." pic.twitter.com/kXciPVLKhK
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 1, 2026
The defensive play that helped Stock came in the bottom of the fifth inning. A Francisco Lindor fielding error on a potential inning-ending double play put the Mets in a pickle. However, left fielder Christopher Morel made a leaping catch on a 99.4 MPH Jonathan Aranda liner to leave the bases loaded.
That ended up being a huge defensive play that added up in the end.
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