In , McDowell was again impressive and was part of a strong core of Mets farm-hands — players that had come up through the minor leagues in the Mets' system — which, together with a few fiery veterans, helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series. McDowell was involved in many close games, posting an amazing 23 pitching decisions despite never starting a game. His 14–9 record, which included winning his first seven decisions, and 3.02 ERA resulted in five points in the voting for National League MVP. McDowell was fantastic in the 1986 National League Championship Series, allowing a single hit in seven innings pitched including five innings in the famous sixteen-inning Game 6. He was less impressive in the World Series, where he pitched in five of the seven games. Although Sid Fernandez gets much deserved recognition for holding the Boston Red Sox silent in the middle innings of Game 7, McDowell was credited with the win by pitching an important scoreless seventh inning before the Mets broke the tie in the bottom of the inning.