The best Mets player to wear number 19

Deciding who the best New York Mets player to wear number 19 is was a lot tougher than I thought it'd be. The Mets have had some solid players wear number 19, but there isn't a standout guy like David Wright for number 5 or Keith Hernandez for number 17.

Jay Bruce wore number 19 during his two stints with the Mets. Ryan Church and Roger Cedeno wore it as well. The most recent Met to wear number 19 was Sam Haggerty who was a September call-up in the 2019 season.

Bob Ojeda is the best Mets player to wear number 19

In the 1986 World Series, the New York Mets matched up against the Boston Red Sox. That's important information because Bob Ojeda was a member of the Red Sox for the first six years of his career. The Mets acquired Ojeda during the 1985 offseason in what ended up being a Mets steal.

The southpaw had the best season of his career in the 1986 season. He went 18-5 with a 2.57 ERA in 32 appearances (30 starts). He had consistently been around a 4.00 ERA during his time in Boston. Ojeda ended up finishing fourth in the National League Cy Young balloting and 21st in the National League MVP balloting. The Mets got way more than they ever could've dreamed they'd get out of Ojeda.

Ojeda then went on to make four starts in the Postseason for the Mets and was spectacular. In the NLCS against the Astros, Ojeda allowed four runs in 14 innings pitched, a 2.57 ERA. That included a complete game allowing just one run in Game 2 of the series and three-run ball in five innings in what ended up being the series clinching Game 6.

In the World Series, Ojeda was even better. He allowed just three runs in 13 innings, a 2.08 ERA. The Mets won both of his starts and ended up winning the series in large part due to his contributions.

Ojeda was a very reliable and underrated arm during his five seasons as a Met. He went 51-40 with a 3.12 ERA in 140 appearances and 109 starts. There's a very good chance the Mets don't win the 1996 World Series without Bob Ojeda's consistency on the mound.