David Wright made his Mets debut 16 years ago today, July 21st, 2004.

The Mets drafted Wright 38th overall in the 2001 draft, out of Hickory High School in Chesapeake, VA. The pick was a compensatory pick, with Mike Hampton having left the Mets for the Rockies via free agency after the 2000 season. Hampton preferred hitter-friendly Colorado because there are no good schools in the tri-state area, but I digress.

Wright stepped in the box at Shea in the bottom of the second inning against John Patterson of the Montreal Expos, and was retired on a foul pop to catcher  (and future Met) Brian Schneider. Wright would end the Wednesday night with no hits in four at-bats. The Mets won the game by the score of 5-4.

The next game was a Thursday matinee at Shea, and Wright collected his first major-league hit, a double in the bottom of the fifth against Zach Day. You can relive the future captain’s milestone in the video below.

Wright proceeded to become one of the most storied players in Mets history. Not only did he solve the Mets perpetual revolving door at third base, he ended his career as the franchise leader in runs scored (946), hits (1,777), total bases (2,665), doubles (390), RBIs (970), walks (761), and extra base hits (541).

Here are a few of Wright’s other career accomplishments:

Seven-time all star

Two-time gold glove winner

Two-time silver slugger winner

Wright holds a career WAR of 49.2, with 242 home runs, a .296 BA, an OPS of .867, and an OPS+ of 133. His best year, as measured by WAR, was 2007 when he had a WAR of 8.3. That year, Wright blasted 30 home runs, drove in 107 runs, and had a BA of .325.

While Wright has given us Mets fans so many great memories, perhaps the moment that stands out is his walk-off hit against Mariano Rivera on May 19th, 2006. This one never gets old. Take a look at the video below.

Wright was the face of the franchise through 2014, and became dubbed “Captain America” during the 2013 World Baseball Classic. You may recall that in 2011, Wright played most of a game with a broken bone in his back. The injury occurred when he attempted to tag a runner on a wet and cold night at Shea.

In 2015, Wright left an early-season game with an apparent back injury. He was later diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which would ultimately end his career. David came back late in 2015, and made a grand re-appearance, launching a massive home run in his first at-bat in Citizen’s Bank Park.

Wright was able to be part of the Mets’ magical romp through September of 2015, as they vaulted themselves to a division championship and subsequent NL championship. Though the Mets lost to the Royals, Wright was able to play in the 2015 World Series, an honor he richly deserved.

Wright would once again go down to injury May of 2016. He attempted to return that year, and in 2017, to no avail. As 2018 moved along, it became obvious that David’s career had been short-circuited due to spinal stenosis. In ceremonial fashion, he played half of one last game next to Jose Reyes on September 29th, 2018.

Many believe that David Wright is the best position player in Mets history. He is definitely one of the most popular, and clearly one of the classiest to ever don the blue and orange.

Wright remains tied to the Mets organization. He will always be one of the iconic faces of the franchise.