The Mets are set to activate David Wright on Tuesday, and he will make his final start on Saturday the 29th. With his upcoming retirement two of Wright’s former managers recently shared their thought’s on Wright and his thirteen year career.

In an of episode of ‘Mets On Deck’ with Pete McCarthy of WOR, spoke with former Mets manager Jerry Manuel.

Manuel told McCarthy that upon joining the Mets organization in 2005, his first impression of Wright was that he “had the opportunity to potentially impact a five tool player, which David was.”

He added that even as a younger guy in the clubhouse, Wright was the leader he is today.

“He was young, but he was quite the teammate. He embraced everyone and every player that joined the organization.. He had those characteristic traits of a natural leader, he did everything the organization would ask him to do,” Manuel said.

Manuel became Wright’s manager in the middle of the 2008 season. That offseason, Wright played hero for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, which Manuel thought was going to be a turning point in his career.

“I thought he was ready to take off and win championships just like the young man crosstown [Derek Jeter]. He was in that same class, but was lacking the championships, and I think that’s what hurt me more than anything about his career,” Manuel said.

Terry Collins, who managed Wright in more games than anyone else, also feels the third baseman showed Hall of Fame potential.

“I saw him when he was rehabbing in Port St. Lucie, and I told him I managed three Hall of Famers and he could do everything they could do, if not more,” Collins recently told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.

Collins became the Mets manager in 2011, and he named Wright the team captain two years later in 2013. During the 2015 season, Wright appeared in 38 games, and Collins penciled him in as the third baseman during the Mets World Series run.

In 2017 when teammates anonymously ripped into Collins’ leadership styles, Wright didn’t hold back and was quick to jump and defend Collins.

Collins told Davidoff, “obviously I’m very honored to have been able to manage him.”

“As a person, he’s one of the finer people I’ve ever been around. And he was a great player,” Collins said.