The best Mets player to wear number 16

The number 16 has been a popular choice for New York Mets players in recent years. The most recent Met to wear it was Jake Marisnick. The last four to wear the number were all fourth or fifth outfielders strangely enough.

Some prominent players to wear number 16 for the Mets include Angel Pagan, Paul Lo Duca, Lee Mazilli, and Jon Stearns. Even David Cone wore it for the final season of his career in 2003. With all of that being said, the best Met to wear number 16 is an obvious choice.

Dwight Gooden is the best Mets player to wear number 16

Once Doc Gooden came onto the scene in 1984 it would've been very reasonable to think that number 16 was never going to be worn again by a Met. In his rookie season he led the league in strikeouts, won the Rookie of the Year, and finished second in the National League Cy Young balloting.

The following season was the best season of his career and the best individual pitching season a Met has ever had He went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA in 35 starts. He won the pitching Triple Crown and led the league in innings pitched as well. He had the highest bWAR in a single season for a pitcher in Mets history with 12.2. He also had the lowest ERA among qualifiers and had the most shutouts in a single season by a Met.

While Gooden's 1986 season wasn't as dominant as his 1985 season, he was still one of the best pitchers in the game and was the ace of the staff on a team that ended up winning the World Series.

Doc is second in bWAR for pitchers, wins, and strikeouts in Mets history. He's towards the top in pretty much every important starting pitching statistic. His starts were always must-see television, especially in the beginning of his career. What Jacob deGrom is now, is what Dwight Gooden was like.

Gooden's career as a Met included some amazing moments we will never forget along with some not great moments as well. Even with taking the down years into account, he's still one of the best pitchers the Mets have ever had and arguments can be made that the number 16 shouldn't have been given out at all after he retired.