The best Mets player to wear number 9

The New York Mets have had several intriguing players wear number 9. Brandon Nimmo is currently wearing it, and if he stays healthy and a Met long term, he might be on this list one day. Kirk Nieuwenhuis wore it, and he hit one of the biggest home runs in the 2015 season! Todd Zeile wore it in his first Mets stint as well.

The best Met to have worn number 9 is Todd Hundley.

Todd Hundley is not the name that comes to mind when discussing the best catcher in Mets history, that is Mike Piazza. However, I'd consider Hundley a top-five catcher in Mets history.

Todd Hundley is the best Mets player to wear number 9

Hundley played nine of his 14 seasons in Flushing. When he was first called up in the 1990 season, he hadn't taken over a full-time role. He didn't get to do a bulk of the catching until the 1992 season. When that happened, he wasn't a very good hitter. He posted OPS+ numbers of 62, 68, and 93 in his first three seasons as the starter.

In the 1995 season, Hundley suddenly figured out how to hit at a high level. He had 15 home runs and an .865 OPS in 90 games in the strike-shortened 1995 season. His OPS+ rose to 131.

The following season was Hundley's best. He slashed .259/.356/.550 with 41 home runs and 112 RBI. His 41 long balls were fourth in the National League and set a Mets franchise record which Carlos Beltran later tied and Pete Alonso eventually broke.

He followed that season with another impressive season. He hit 30 more home runs and was an all-star for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately, Hundley struggled in the 1998 season and his career as a Met ended there.

Hundley is ninth in Mets history with his 124 home runs and is 14th in Mets history in RBI. When taking into account that he was a catcher, that's pretty impressive for the best player to ever wear the number 9 as a Met.