Happy Birthday to Mets third baseman David Wright, who turned 33 today. It’s amazing how time catches up to everyone. Seems like only yesterday we were all in awe watching Wright hitting those bombs off Paul Lo Duca in the Home Run Derby… All those great expectations we had for him and the team…
A seven time All Star, Wright has had a remarkable career on and off the field, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in runs, hits, doubles, and RBIs. And by the end of this next season you can add home runs as well, if everything breaks right. He’s just 18 away from catching Darryl Strawberry.
The one thing that has eluded him is also the one thing he has wanted more than anything else – a World Series ring. We came close in 2015, and the Mets captain did his part in Game 3 when he went 2-for-5 with a home run and four runs driven in. But it wasn’t meant to be as fate had other ideas.
After a long and grueling rehab stemming from a diagnosis of spinal stenosis, Wright returned from the DL and homered in his first at-bat against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He finished the regular season batting .289 with a .379 OBP and .430 slugging percentage in 30 games. Small sample size, yes, but his .814 OPS was not far from his career .869 mark.
Clearly, Wright is no longer the 7-8 WAR player he used to be, but if he comes close to matching his Steamer projection for 2016, I believe many of us will take it. They have him pegged for 31 doubles, 14 home runs, 8 steals and a .753 OPS which might be a little too conservative in my opinion.
The Mets have him under contract for another five seasons at a total cost of $87 million. He will earn $20 million next season. It’s a huge chunk of change and the expectations are extraordinarily high for him this season.
There are some questions and concerns of course. Chief among them being can Wright step up and become a presence in that Mets batting order and will he still be able to maintain the day-to-day intensity of challenging for another division title? How many games can the Mets realistically rely on him for in 2016?
Once one of the most durable players in baseball, Wright played in 150-plus games in each of his first four seasons and six of his first eight. He recently said he plans to return next season with the goal of playing almost everyday in 2016.
“My mindset is I want to play as much as possible, as much as I’m continuing to help the team,” Wright said. “If I think I can benefit from having an off day with my back, then that’s something that will be discussed.”
“But my mindset moving forward is, the goal is to play as much as possible. For me, that’s being an everyday player and contributing on a daily basis — that’s for sure.”
Here’s to a big year for Wright, and the hope that he can lead the charge as the Mets look to battle their way back into the postseason again.
