Three Reasons Why David Wright Has a Chance at Cooperstown

Last night before a capacity crowd at Citi Field, New York Mets third baseman David Wright played his final big league game.

Wright went 0 for 1 with a walk and made a play in the field before leaving the game in the top of the fifth to a rapturous standing ovation. Mets fans would lustily boo Miami Marlins first baseman Peter O'Brien for having the nerve to catch Wright's pop up in his final at bat. But Mets fans went home happy when the Mets won the game in the 13th inning on an Austin Jackson double for the only run of the game with Wright addressing the fans after the game.

I spent last night thinking about Wright's chances for enshrinement into Cooperstown. Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen seemed to believe that Wright's injuries which have plagued him since 2014 are likely to preclude him. Wright has had several surgeries on his back, neck and shoulder and also has spinal stenosis to boot.

While I don't think Wright will be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible for consideration in 2024, I do believe he will be one day inducted whether by the BBWAA or by the Veterans Committee. There are three reasons working in his favor.

First, Wright not only spent his entire professional career with the New York Mets but is simply the greatest position player to ever wear a Mets uniform. Wright holds the team's records in every offensive category except for home runs and had Wright been healthy he would have eclipsed Darryl Strawberry's team record. It is true the Mets don't have the storied history of the Yankees, but come 2024 the Mets will be in their seventh decade. This is not an insignificant amount of time and Wright's imprint on the Mets cannot be ignored.

Second, there remains a paucity of third baseman in the Hall of Fame although the induction of Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones over the summer now puts that number at 17. Like Wright, Jones spent his entire career with a single organization. What makes things more interesting is that Wright and Jones careers overlap. They were frequent competitors within the NL East between 2004 and 2012 and during that period Wright supplanted Jones as the premier third baseman in the NL with seven NL All-Star appearances while Jones only had three over the same period. While Wright doesn't have Jones' overall offensive stats, he is certainly the better defensive third baseman. That Wright can be compared favorably with a contemporary like Jones certainly bolsters his case for induction.

Third, character still matters. Even if Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and, for that matter, Alex Rodriguez get their day in Cooperstown there will always be a cloud of scandal over their legacies. The same cannot be said for Wright who has conducted himself in an exemplary manner both on and off the field. This isn't to say that one must be a saint to earn a plaque in Cooperstown, but Wright leaves both the Mets and Major League Baseball a better place than he found it.