Davey Johnson, who managed the New York Mets to the 1986 World Series title and was the winningest manager in franchise history, died on Friday at 82, the team has confirmed.
Johnson played 13 seasons in the majors, made four All-Star teams and helped the Baltimore Orioles win two World Series titles. But it was his six-plus years managing the Mets for which he will likely be remembered. The team won 595 games during his tenure, and the 1986 team etched itself into the pages of the sport’s history.
“He led with a quiet confidence and unwavering belief in his team, always caring deeply for his players both on and off the field,” the Mets said in a statement. “On behalf of our entire organization, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Davey’s family, friends, and all who were impacted by his remarkable life and career.”
We mourn the passing of Orioles Hall of Fame second baseman Davey Johnson, who earned three All-Star berths with the club and later managed the team to two Postseason appearances. pic.twitter.com/gCa25R0VtH
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 6, 2025
The 1986 Mets were a team filled with magnetic stars and brash personalities like Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and Lenny Dykstra. They dominated in the regular season, winning 108 games. Then, after getting past the Houston Astros in the NL playoffs, they faced the Boston Red Sox in what became one of the most memorable World Series in history.
It is best known for the Mets’ improbable extra-inning win in Game 6, a victory secured when Mookie Wilson’s roller down the first base line dribbled through the legs of Boston first baseman Bill Buckner and sent Ray Knight home.
“I’m deeply saddened by the loss of Davey Johnson, a remarkable leader who transformed the Mets franchise into a winning organization,” Strawberry wrote on Instagram. “His ability to empower players to express themselves while maintaining a strong commitment to excellence was truly inspiring. Davey’s legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of fans and players alike.”
As a manager, Johnson earned praise for his ability to guide young pitchers. In the 1980s, Mets pitchers Gooden, Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez all developed under Johnson’s watch.
“He took a chance on me when I was 19,” Gooden said in the statement issued by the Mets. “Davey wasn’t afraid to make a tough decision. I know I wouldn’t have had the career I did without him.”
Darling added, “Getting to the major leagues is tough. Succeeding in the major leagues is even harder, and to accomplish that you need a guardian angel. Davey was my guardian angel.”
Similar to his Mets clubhouse, Johnson exuded confidence, predicting before the 1986 season that his group would “dominate.” Of course, he was right. Along the ride, the Mets of the 1980s became known as much for their wildness off the field as their success on it. From 1976-97, no team won more games in a season than the ’86 Mets’ 108 victories.
“I treated my players like men,” Johnson once said. “As long as they won for me on the field, I didn’t give a flying f— what they did otherwise.”
A few former Mets players went so far as to say that they owed their careers to Johnson.
“Davey Johnson was the greatest manager I ever played for,” Strawberry said in the team statement. “He let us do our own thing. This is a sad day for the Mets and for the 1986 Mets family.”
Keith Hernandez added, “Without a doubt, he saved my career. He let me be myself on the field. He knew when to be tough and when to take it easier. It was a joy playing for him.”
Johnson’s interests predated the age of analytics. According to Bill Francis, a researcher at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Johnson took an offseason course on computers at Johns Hopkins University in the late 1960s and created formulas to determine the best batting order for the Orioles.
“I don’t know whether to tell (Orioles manager Earl) Weaver, but the sixth-worst lineup was the one we used most of the time last season,” Johnson said, per Francis.
After his tenure with the Mets, Johnson had stints managing the Orioles, the Cincinnati Reds, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals, winning Manager of the Year with the Orioles in 1997 and the Nationals in 2012. Johnson also managed Team USA three times — the Baseball World Cup (2005), Olympics (2008) and World Baseball Classic (2009).
“Davey was one of the best managers I worked with in my career, leading the Reds to two first-place finishes, and is the last Reds manager to take the team to the NLCS, in 1995,” said The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, who as Reds GM hired Johnson as Cincinnati’s manager in 1993, and as Nationals GM hired him as a special consultant in 2006. “He taught me so much about baseball, specifically how to build bullpens, develop young pitchers and put together elite coaching staffs. He was a brilliant, kind leader and teammate. I offer my sincere condolences and prayers to his family, friends and the baseball community.”
Johnson finished his 17-season managerial career with a .562 winning percentage, which is 10th-best all-time in MLB history for managers with 1,000 career wins. A member of both the Mets’ and Orioles’ Hall of Fame, he is the only manager with 300 or more wins above .500 not inducted into the Hall of Fame. He most recently missed the required 12 votes needed from the 16-member Contemporary Era Committee in December 2023.
(Photo: George Gojkovich / Getty Images)
