David Wright the Derek Jeter of the New York Mets?
When you think of New York and recent baseball in the same thought, Derek Jeter is the first guy that should come to mind. The Captain of the pin stripes was and still is a baseball icon in the city that never sleeps. He stands next to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in terms of contributions to the New York Yankees and after 20 years with one team, he stands as one of the last loyal players in the game.
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His stats are up there with the best: a .310 lifetime average, the Rookie of the Year in 1996, a 14 time all-star, 5 time gold glover and 5 time silver slugger. And it’s not like he tailed off at the end either. At the age of 38 he led the league in plate appearances and hits and maintained a .316 batting average.
Needless to say, Derek Jeter was one of a kind. But now that he’s gone, who is the face of New York baseball?
The answer lies away from the pinstripes and away from the Bronx. The answer lies in Queens, specifically at Citi Field, where David Wright has has finally returned to action.
David Wright has always been a special player, but playing for the little brother of Derek Jeter’s New York Yankees, the New York Mets, he rarely gets the attention he deserves for what he’s done on a Mets team that hasn’t exactly done a lot for him. Wright has been one of the best third baseman in the game and arguably the best in the National League since his arrival and he, like Jeter, has done it all for one team.
To put it simply, David Wright is to the New York Mets as Derek Jeter was to the New York Yankees.
Drafted by the Mets in 2001, he wasted no time getting to the majors, as he touched ground in 2004. Since that time, he’s compiled a .298 career batting average, 231 home runs, 943 RBIs, 7 all-star appearances, 2 golden gloves and 2 silver sluggers. He’s also joined the exclusive 30-30 club.
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Not only that, but David Wright is quickly cementing himself as the best hitter in New York Mets’ history. Here’s a list at all the team records he currently holds (via Mets.com): Runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, RBIs, walks, runs created and extra base hits. Not to mention that after he inevitably hits another 23 home runs, he’ll hold that mark too.
The stats are there, and the loyalty to the club is as well. The New York Mets have not found much success during David Wright’s tenure and he could have very easily jumped ship to a contending team but he’s stuck with them through thick and thin. Now that the Mets are starting to turn a corner, David Wright may finally have the chance to bring titles to the New York Mets like Jeter did for the Yankees.
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