NEW YORK – After owners Steve and Alex Cohen informed David Wright that the Mets would retire his uniform No. 5 and induct him into the team’s Hall of Fame on July 19 at Citi Field, Wright immediately received a congratulatory text from Keith Hernandez, another Mets legend who received the same honors.
Suddenly, Wright started to believe that someone was joking with him about being honored by the Mets. He then called team historian and vice president of alumni public relations Jay Horwitz to confirm what was told to him earlier in the day.
“I said to Jay, ‘I want to make sure this is real,’ [The text from Hernandez] meant a lot to me for a guy of his stature,” Wright said during a Zoom call on Wednesday. “I don’t think it’s going to hit me. … I truly feel it’s a bit undeserved given the skill and accomplishments of some of the numbers that I’ll be amongst up there. I joke that there should be a special section for my number because it’s probably not deserving amongst the really good players in the organization. I’m incredibly grateful for the honor. I don’t take it lightly. I’m humbled.”
Wright will become the 10th individual to have his number retired by the Mets and the second, along with Tom Seaver, to enter the team’s Hall of Fame on the same day. Wright’s numbers prove the honors are well deserved. He hit 242 home runs, drove in 970 runs and compiled 49.2 Wins Above Replacement over a 14-year career in New York. In 2013, his 10th year in the Major Leagues, he was named the fourth captain in the team’s history.
Wright established a Hall of Fame arc in his 20s before succumbing to the back, neck and right shoulder injuries that ultimately ended his career. From 2015-17, Wright played in only 75 games. He returned in 2018 to appear in two final emotional games -- the last of them before a sold-out crowd at Citi.
“I can honestly look at you and say that I got the most out of my six-foot, 200-pound, very little athleticism body,” Wright said. “I reached my ceiling, and that is something I don’t think a lot of players can say. I put my head on the pillow and say I left it all out there. I gave everything I had. I worked as hard as I could, and there isn’t anything I could have done differently on that side.”
What makes the marriage between Wright and the Mets so special is that he grew up a fan of the team. Wright was born and raised in Norfolk, Va., where the Mets’ Triple-A team, the Norfolk Tides, was located from 1969-2006. His father, Rhon, was a huge Mets fan and had friends working for the Tides. By the time he was 21 in 2004, David was playing for Norfolk before his promotion to the big league club later that year.
“It’s crazy that I’m drafted by my favorite team,” Wright said. “Our Triple-A is in our hometown. I’m developed by some of my dad’s favorite players growing up, whether it’s [Howard Johnson], Gary Carter and Tim Teufel. [Darryl Strawberry] is around. [Dwight Gooden] is around. Keith is around. Then it’s crazy to spend my entire career with the Mets, I think that’s what makes this relationship so special – not just me and the team, but me and the city.
"It’s a genuine connection. Organically, we root for one another. … Every night it felt like I had 40,000 friends and family that were genuinely rooting for me to succeed.”
Wright is still rooting for the Mets. The free-agent signing of Juan Soto has him believing that the best days are ahead for them.
“I think it’s huge. It seems like the will to win within the organization is incredible,” Wright said. “It’s a win-at-all-cost, do-whatever-you-can-to-win type of mentality. That’s something that I love, the city loves, the fan base certainly loves.
“The goal is not just set to win one championship. It’s, ‘Let’s go on a run and win multiple championships.’ That’s a mindset and an attitude that I think any player or any fan can get behind. Ownership and this front office want to put a winning product on the field and a product that is going to entertain and win a lot of baseball games. I couldn’t be more excited for 2025.”