The best Mets player to wear number 27

The argument of best Met to wear number 27 is a very intriguing one, and is between two players. Craig Swan had a very good and underrated 12-year career. All but two appearances in his career came with the New York Mets.

He was a fixture in the Mets rotation in the late 1970s. From 1976-1980, he went 43-47 with a 3.33 ERA in 134 appearances (130 starts). In 1978 he even led the National League in ERA and ERA+. He was a reliable arm and gave the Mets a quality start every fifth day for a long time.

As good as Craig Swan was, Jeurys Familia is easily a top five closer in Mets history, and arguably should be top three.

Jeurys Familia is the best Mets player to wear number 27

I know that this is going to be very controversial. Jeurys Familia has had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

In 2015, he stepped into a role he wasn't even supposed to be in. The guy who was supposed to be the closer, Jenry Mejia, was suspended for the entire 2015 season after his second failed PED test. Familia stepped in and was absolutely dominant. He converted 43 out of his 48 save opportunities and posted a 1.85 ERA. He was so good, David Ortiz called him the "nastiest pitcher in the world."

What's forgotten about his 2015 postseason, was all of the success he had before the World Series. Familia had four scoreless outings in each of the first two rounds of the postseason, pitching 9.2 innings and accumulating five saves. He allowed just two hits and two walks in those eight appearances. He was the one who finished the Dodgers off in a one-run game in Los Angeles. He was also the one who finished off the sweep of the Cubs.

Familia is remembered for the Alex Gordon home run, and for good reason. But the Mets are likely not in that spot without Familia. He was the one who kept them afloat while they couldn't score runs consistently.

In 2016, he set a franchise record with 51 saves in 56 opportunities, including each of his first 36. He was an all-star and even finished 17th in the National League MVP balloting. Again, he is remembered for the Wild Card home run to lose that game. However, the Mets don't come close to playing in that game if he doesn't have the regular season he had.

It's unfortunate that Familia had to go through those low moments, but they shouldn't erase all of the good. Familia did struggle in his second tenure as a Met, although he wasn't bad this past season. He ranks third in Mets history with 124 saves and 469 appearances.