Nine of the top 30 relievers on the all-time saves list have pitched for the Mets, including five of the top 12. The Mets have also had Tug McGraw, Jesse Orosco and Ron Taylor pitch out of their bullpen. But when it’s all said and done, all of us reading this now will be able to say we saw the best reliever in team history. While he’s been in the role for less than a year and a half, Jeurys Familia has announced his presence with authority and has set himself up to be a dominant reliever for a long time.

They say that great closers are made, not born, and Familia is no exception to this rule. He started out as a top prospect as a starter, reaching number three on our top 10 prospect list in 2012. But even then, he was tabbed as a potential future closer. That year at Triple-A Buffalo, Familia led the team with 137 IP. He also had the highest ERA among the four pitchers to log 100 innings for the club, notching a 4.73 mark.

Familia’s big fastball got him to Triple-A but his lack of strong offspeed pitches kept him from being a success there. Still, he made his major league debut that year, appearing in eight games. He even made a start for the Mets, pitching four scoreless innings in Game 160 against the Marlins. It would be the only start in his MLB career.

The next year was a lost one for Familia. He made the Opening Day roster but was quickly sent to the minors so that the organization could enjoy its latest lefty fetish – the wonderful Aaron Laffey. He returned to the Mets but soon found himself on the DL with elbow troubles. Famiiia eventually underwent arthroscopic surgery on his elbow, which cost him most of the year. He did return to the majors in mid-September.

In 2014, Familia established himself as the team’s eighth inning man, proving a reliable set-up option for new closer Jenrry Mejia. He had a 2.21 ERA and a 1.177 WHIP, numbers which helped Familia finish tied for seventh with teammate Travis d’Arnaud in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

But as encouraging as that season was, it was not without some troubling notes. While he had a sparkling ERA, his peripherals painted a different story. Familia’s slightly elevated LOB% combined with a 5.2 HR/FB rate led to a 3.49 xFIP. More importantly, Familia still had two issues. He still gave up too many walks (3.72 BB/9) and while he had great success versus RHB, lefties gave him fits, as they batted .293 with an .821 OPS against him that season.

Still, he was counted on for a key role in the bullpen at the start of 2015, one that quickly elevated into him being the top dog once Mejia’s troubles came to light. And his two biggest issues seemingly disappeared overnight, allowing him to blossom into a dominating closer.

Familia cut his walk rate in 2015 to a very strong 2.19 rate. And lefties were held to a .616 OPS.

So, how did he do it? Most pitchers like to throw a changeup to hitters when they don’t have the platoon advantage, as the change typically moves away from those batters. But Familia did not possess a good change. Over 99% of his pitches to LHB in 2014 were either sinkers (57% of the time), four-seam fastballs (30.3%) or sliders (12%), according to Texas Leaguers.

But in 2015, Familia added a splitter to his repertoire and significantly cut down his four-seam fastball usage to lefties, making it his fourth-used pitch at 8.4% of the time. And the results were dramatic. The splitter gave him another swing-and-miss pitch, along with his slider, and lefties went from 19 Ks in 153 PA in 2014 to 34 Ks in 142 PA in 2015.

In his first year as a closer, Familia tied the team record for Saves with 43. This year he already has 14 Saves and according to ESPN, he’s on pace to finish the year with 54. More importantly, he’s still performing well in the two areas that plagued him earlier in his career. So far in 2016, Familia has a 1.77 BB/9 mark and lefties have just a .561 OPS against him after 21 games.

Armando Benitez was the most overpowering reliever the Mets ever had, with an 11.8 K/9 rate in his time with the Mets. But he had a reputation for not coming through in the big games and most fans do not remember his tenure with the club fondly. John Franco has the most Saves in club history with 246. But while most fans loved Franco the person, with his New York ties and penchant for wearing his heart on his sleeve, his style of pitching, where he constantly seemed to be nibbling, did not win him a slew of admirers.

McGraw and Orosco hold special places in team history for their roles in pennant and World Series teams. Familia doesn’t quite have that yet, his homer to Alex Gordon and Terry Collins’ sub-optimal usage of him sullying his first pennant performance.

But the key word there is “yet.” At age 26, Familia seems likely to get another crack at the postseason with the Mets. He appears to be well-liked by both the team and fans and his dominance will land him on the All-Star team this year. The future seems wide open for both Familia and the Mets and we are witnessing a terrific pitcher on a daily basis.

A generation from now, you’ll be telling your kids or your grandkids that you saw Familia develop into a star right before your eyes. It’s great to have stories like that.

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