Sources: Mets to retire David Wright's No. 5 jersey
Mets third baseman David Wright as he left the field during his final game on Sept. 29, 2018. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
David Wright’s No. 5 is headed for the Citi Field rafters.
Wright, a seven-time All-Star, a winner of two Gold Gloves and the Mets’ most recent captain, will have his jersey number retired and be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony before the July 19 game against the Reds, sources confirmed Friday morning.
It figured to be only a matter of time for Wright, an incredibly popular homegrown star who seemingly was a Cooperstown lock before debilitating back and neck issues prematurely ended his otherwise brilliant 14-year career in Flushing.
Wright is the Mets’ all-time leader in hits (1,777), doubles (390), RBIs (970) and total bases (2,945). He’s also tops in WAR (49.2) among the club’s position players, according to Baseball Reference, and second to Darryl Strawberry with 242 home runs.
He will be the ninth Mets player to have his number retired by the organization.
“It’s such an incredible honor that just being asked the question, I feel humbled by it,” Wright, who will turn 42 next week, told Newsday in September of the possibility of having his number retired. “If it were to happen, great. If not, it’s something when you look up there, it’s some of my heroes, some guys I played with, some guys I idolized growing up. So just to be even mentioned in that category is quite the honor.”
Wright’s last full season was 2014, but he painfully struggled through part-time roles for two more years, enough to make his only World Series appearance in 2015. After missing all of 2017, Wright suited up for the final weekend of the 2018 season to say an emotional goodbye at Citi Field.
The Mets in recent years have made efforts to more actively celebrate their history, including clearing the backlog of those due for this honor. For decades, manager Casey Stengel (No. 37), player-turned-manager Gil Hodges (No. 14) and Tom Seaver (No. 41) were the only Mets to have their numbers officially taken out of circulation. They also had Jackie Robinson’s universally retired No. 42 hanging in the upper deck.
After Mike Piazza’s No. 31 was retired in 2016, the Mets started playing catch-up this decade: Jerry Koosman (No. 36) in 2021, Keith Hernandez (No. 17) and Willie Mays (No. 24) in 2022, Dwight Gooden (No. 16) and Darryl Strawberry (No. 18) in 2024.
Wright was the most obvious remaining candidate.
“Honestly, what should have happened for David is the same thing the [Red Sox] did for Big Papi [David Ortiz],” Pete Alonso told Newsday in June. “As soon as he retired, the number should have [gone] up. Like, ‘Congratulations, David, on a great career, happy retirement, but from this moment on, no one will be allowed to wear No. 5.’ ”
No Mets player has worn the No. 5 since Wright retired.
For Wright, who also is in his second year on baseball’s Hall of Fame ballot after receiving 6.2% of the vote last season, the significance of the honor hits home.
“I get a different perspective than a lot of people because I grew up a Mets fan,” Wright said in the September interview, referencing trying to emulate Strawberry and Gary Carter as a child. “I got drafted by the Mets, came up through the system, spent my entire career here, still have tremendous relationships. I think I kind of understand the history and understand how monumental it would be.”
With David Lennon
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
