Mets: 15 best starting pitchers all-time in franchise history

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FLUSHING, : New York Mets’ starting pitcher Rick Reed throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning 08 October in game three of the National League Division Series at Shea Stadium in Flushing, NY. The best-of-five series is tied 1-1. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Don EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images) /

11) Mets Best Starting Pitcher – Rick Reed

I love a good underdog story so please excuse me if you feel Rick Reed is too high on this list.

Reed joined the Mets as a journeyman starter who didn’t pitch in a big league game the year prior. Who knew he would end up with the 9th highest WAR, 14th most wins, and the second-best winning percentage in all of team history?

Reed was more than just a guy that performed better than expected. An All-Star in 1998 and again in 2001, he was an arm the Mets could count on every fifth day to give them a chance to win.

It’s this amazing ability to win games that should stand out most to fans when we all agree he deserves this spot on the list.

The 1990s included its ups and downs for the Mets. In the early part of the decade, the team was saying goodbye to some beloved stars while bringing in a few others. Many of them failed to live up to the hype. This led to a rebuild and an opportunity for guys like Reed to come in and show the franchise what they could do.

Reed achieved a lot with the Mets from 1997 until mid-2001. He wasn’t dominant. He didn’t strike out batters at an eye-popping rate. Reed just stepped on the mound, threw the baseball, and got outs consistently.

Of course, Reed did have the benefit of playing on some very good Mets teams. In 1999 and 2000, he posted ERAs above 4.00. Still, he managed to finish each year with an 11-5 record.

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