The Mets will retire David Wright’s No. 5 on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, and the former captain will also be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame before the game against the Reds.
Wright will become the eighth player in franchise history to have their number retired, and he joins only Tom Seaver as the only players to have their number retired and be enshrined in the Mets Hall of Fame on the same day.
The honor for Wright is well earned, as he still holds the franchise record in hits, RBI, doubles, and walks. He is second all-time in games played and home runs. His trophy case also includes seven All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers, and a pair of Gold Gloves.
Those impressive numbers and accolades were coupled with some unforgettable moments during his 14-year career, all with the Mets, so let’s rank the top five ahead of his big day on Saturday.
5. Home run in first game back from injury, Aug. 24, 2015
Wright suffered a hamstring injury in mid-April after a typical strong start to his 2015 season, and as he was recovering from that injury, doctors diagnosed Wright with spinal stenosis, a serious condidtion that ultimately led to the end of his decorated career. But in 2015, Wright worked his way back after first learning of his spinal condition, and in his first game back in over four months, he cranked a no-doubt home run into the second deck in his first at-bat, where even the Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park had to smile a little.
Wright finished the day with a pair of hits and three runs scored in a Mets win.
4. Walk-off against Mariano Rivera, May 19, 2006
The 2006 season ended in heartbreak for the Mets, but for much of that year, it felt like a special group. That was especially the case in the Subway Series opener in Queens, when the Mets fell behind 4-0 to the Yankees rallying to tie it before the bottom of the ninth. With the mighty Mariano Rivera on the mound, Wright belted a two-out, walk-off single over Johnny Damon’s head in center field to win the game. Wright homered two days later to help the Mets take the series.
3. Clutch insurance hit against Dodgers, game one 2015 NLDS
Wright’s return to the lineup and the Mets’ aggressive trade deadline that included the acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes helped New York win the NL East and secure a first-round date with the NL West champion Dodgers. With a chance to set the tone for the series, Wright stepped up in the top of the seventh with the Mets clinging to a 1-0 lead. Facing Pedro Baez, Wright lined a bases-loaded single up the middle to extend the lead to 3-0, silencing the Dodger Stadium crowd. The insurance runs proved crucial as New York went on to win 3-1, and take the series in five.
2. Ridiculous barehanded catch, Aug. 9, 2005
This has to be in the conversation for the flashiest defensive play in Mets history, and Wright didn’t need any leather to pull it off. Brian Giles broke his bat on a half swing to send a flare into shallow left field, and Wright sprinted to the outfield grass, fell backward with his back to home plate, and snared the pop fly with his bare hand as he fell to the ground. The Mets went on to lose the game, but honestly, who cares? The highlight of the game was Wright’s catch, and it would be shown with other all-time web gems for years to come.
1. World Series home run, game three 2015
The Mets desperately needed a spark heading back to Queens for game three of the 2015 World Series, and the captain provided it in the game three, cranking a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead, sending Citi Field into an all-time frenzy. He provided some insurance in the sixth with a two-run single to send the Mets on their way to their lone win in that World Series. Wright’s first-inning homer is undoubtedly his most memorable Mets moment.
Honorable Mention: Mets hit king, Sept. 25, 2012
Sure, it was an infield single, but Wright’s 1,419th hit was still plenty memorable, as it moved him past Ed Kranepool and to the top of the Mets’ all-time hits list, where Wright still currently stands today. Wright finished his career with 1,777 knocks, and it felt like he deserved a lot more had it not been for the back issues that cut his career short.