David Wright to be New York Mets' captain

The New York Mets have only had three team captains in their history. During the late 1980s, when the team was a perennial playoff contender both Keith Hernandez and the late Gary Carter served as captain. Relief pitcher John Franco spent fourteen seasons with the team and was named captain in 2001. The Mets are reportedly ready to make third baseman David Wright their newest team captain, which should come as no surprise.

David Wright has handled his entire career the right way. Since he came up in 2004, Wright has been better than the Mets could have hoped. With the exception of his 2009 season, in which he had to adjust to Citi Field’s deep walls, Wright has consistently hit for power and average. He has never bad-mouthed the team through their constant struggles or acted out, despite only making the playoffs once in his nine-year career. When Wright and the Mets agreed to an 8-year, $138 million extension this offseason it was only a matter of time before he became the team’s captain.

There is the temptation to compare two New York baseball team’s captains, as the New York Yankees named shortstop Derek Jeter captain in 2003. However, there is no contest yet. While Jeter and Wright both mean a great deal to their teams and are high quality athletes and individuals, Wright’s playoff success is non-existent in comparison to Jeter’s.

Wright turned 30 this offseason and has a young rebuilding team around him. While the Mets have failed to put a championship team around him in the past, they have at least eight more years to try. David Wright has been and will be the face of the franchise for years, and his consistent willingness to put the team before him makes him the perfect captain for this young ball club.