Though Gary Carter's number isn't officially retired by the Mets, it hadn't been used in 24 years. Getty ImagesMay 19, 2026Updated 10:35 pm EDTWASHINGTON — For one night only, the New York Mets brought No. 8 back into use.Nick Morabito, freshly promoted from Triple-A Syracuse, was given No. 8 for his major-league debut on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals. The Mets, however, hadn’t handed out No. 8 in 24 years — not since Gary Carter had been inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.Carter’s number is not officially retired by the organization. Coach Matt Galante had been the last to wear No. 8, in 2002; before Morabito, Desi Relaford, in 2001, was the last player to wear the number.
Morabito, who wore No. 70 in spring training and No. 7 for Syracuse, will wear No. 55 beginning Wednesday. He told reporters that he did not choose No. 8 initially.Although Carter’s number hasn’t been retired, he’s long been a candidate for the honor.Starting in 2019, the Mets loosened the standards on number retirements. Before then, a player had to enter the Hall of Fame as a Met to receive the honor. Only Tom Seaver (41) and Mike Piazza (31) had done that. (Carter’s Hall of Fame plaque has him in a Montreal Expos hat.)Since 2019, though, the Mets have retired the numbers for Jerry Koosman (36), Keith Hernandez (17), Willie Mays (24), Dwight Gooden (16), Darryl Strawberry (18) and David Wright (5). Managers Casey Stengel (37) and Gil Hodges (14) had their numbers retired. Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 is retired throughout MLB.The club will retire Carlos Beltrán’s No. 15 this summer; Beltrán is the only player of that group who meets the Mets’ initial requirements.May 20, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
