Miami Marlins Best To Wear Jersey Number Series, No. 31: Brad Penny

When it comes to wore No. 31 for the Miami Marlins, it's all about the World Series.

Well, at least that's where the top contenders for this installment of Marlin Maniac's Best To Wear The Miami Marlins Jersey Number shone the brightest for the franchise. Multiple entrants on this list had extensive Marlins careers. And to be fair, this will make it three of four entrants on this list having technically earned a World Series ring with Miami. Yet this is the first time one of them actually played in the World Series, and the choice for No. 31 didn't just play, but earned two World Series victories on the mound.

Enter Brad Penny, No. 31 in your programs, and somewhere in the Top 11 on nearly every franchise list of all-time pitching stats.

No. 31 in your programs every year save for 2014 anyway- if you'll recall, Penny made a brief cameo in the honorable/technical mention section of the No. 33 article on John Burkett. For the bulk of that Top 11 in WAR and strikeouts, Top 5 in wins Marlins career, Penny wore No. 31 though, landing him on this list. Honorable mentions this time around include notables such as Steve Cishek, as well as the poor man's Brad Penny of this generation, Caleb Smith.

Of course, the top technical answer/honorable mention would go to a player that only wore a Miami Marlins jersey for about a week- one Mike Piazza. If this list wasn't about usefulness in a Marlins uniform, and just best overall MLB career, he'd have been the easiest call so far. Then again, seeing as how the prospects he was traded for helped bring Mike Lowell to the Marlins in a later deal...maybe he does deserve the nod here.

Kidding aside, this was always going to one of two players: Brad Penny or Robb Nen. Nen is Miami's career leader in saves, and picked up four of them across the NLCS and World Series during the 1997 championship run. Penny's career as the reliable innings eater though- never quite as talented as Josh Beckett or A.J. Burnett but often healthier and still really good- gace him a solid 8.1 to 5.0 WAR edge over Nen. Plus, being 2/3 of an inning pitched shy of two quality starts against the Yankees in the 2003 World Series says a lot on its own.

Plenty more could be said of Penny's extensive accolades in a Marlins uniform, but I'm writing this on Christmas Eve, and am starting to draw looks from the spouse.

May your holiday season be as merry and bright as Penny's Marlins career, and we'll catch you in a few days with No. 30 on the list.