I realize that already, many of you have scoffed at the title of this article, and some of you Wright fanatics have already mentally cursed me out merely for writing such “blasphemy.” But, with the rumors that a trade of either Wright or Reyes may occur at some point this season or offseason, it’s time to explore why—and how—Wright has not lived up to the pedestal he has (unfairly?) been placed upon.
Let’s hearken back to the hopeful days of 2005. The Mets did not make the playoffs that season, but they finished strong, had acquired Beltran and Pedro, and two of the most exciting and publicized young homegrown prospects were ripe to begin their second full season together in the major leagues—David Wright and Jose Reyes. Indeed it was 2006 that Wright (and Reyes) made us believe they were well on their way to super stardom, and they were bringing the Mets with them. The Mets then went from nearly convincing a city that they were well on their way to championship(s) to achieving annual gut-wrenching choke jobs that left that same city in utter shame and disbelief. There have been many players present throughout this terrible Mets era, but the one that stands above them all is David Wright.
I couldn't sit here and tell you with a straight face that Wright has done nothing for the Mets. There are times where he has been an absolute asset—and times where he has been a colossal letdown. There is no denying, however, that Wright was ill-equipped to handle the pedestal he was put on. He has not evolved into the leader, or the superstar, that the fans, media, and ownership have continually portrayed him to be. In fact, placing him on such a high pedestal has actually hindered his performance, and certainly his baseball mentality.
Wright has hit over .300 in all but one of his full seasons in the major leagues. This is normally the mark of a consistent hitter. However, Wright rides the rollercoaster of a major league season far too literally, and with it goes his batting average. His streakiness (for example, going on a .460+ tear for 3 weeks, then drudging through an 0-20 slump immediately after) is what accounts for at least two of his over .300 seasons. Not to mention that Wright has greatly benefited in the past from having protection from the once-feared sluggers in Beltran and Delgado. Yes, every good player benefits from protection in the lineup but once that protection was gone, Wright's numbers plummeted—or should I say skyrocketed.
After Beltran and Delgado were gone from the Mets lineup, Wright's strikeouts went through the roof. He was steady in the range of around 115 strikeouts from 2006-2008. In 2009 and 2010, Wright struck out a total of 140 and 161 times, respectively. These were not just your run-of-the-mill strikeouts, either. In 2010, Wright had fifty strikeouts with two outs and runners in scoring position, hitting only .236 in those situations. After the first pitch strike, Wright struckout 106 times. Strikeout after strikeout came in clutch situations, leaving realistic fans increasingly frustrated with their "superstar." (I'll give Wright a pass for 2009 since the majority of the roster was injured thereby leaving him with as much protection as Antonio Cromartie uses in the bedroom.)
It's painful to admit that Fred Wilpon is right about anything, but he was spot-on when he said that Wright isn't a superstar. Wright can be a superstar, but only if surrounded by other superstars. Let's be honest, that isn't going to happen here with the Mets, at least not any time soon. Right now, Wright still feels the weight of this team—and this demanding city—on his shoulders. He's never been built to hold that weight, and he will never be what this team so desperately needs him to be. Realistically it is much easier to replace a third baseman than it is to replace a shortstop—especially one with the talents that our shortstop possesses. Now, I don't want to make this a Wright vs. Reyes debate because it never should be, though it oftens becomes one (especially on Twitter). But with the Mets' finances the way they are, it's ignorant to think that a Wright OR Reyes situation isn't plausible.
Wright's power numbers have declined, due to Citi Field, due to less protection, due to...whatever variable you feel like entering here. Bottom line is, as long as Wright is here, he will not realize his full potential as a baseball player, nor will the Mets ever be able to move on from this abysmal era that they are knee-deep in. Getting rid of Wright changes the entire dynamic of this team, and calls for some of the so-far-so-good youngin's to step up to the plate and continue to rake in the RBIs and clutch hits. If they don't pan out, then we go after another third baseman. Not only that, trading Wright would land stellar young talent if not MLB-ready young players (hopefully pitching). Wright will excel on another team beyond what he is capable of achieving here. For me, that's easier to stomach than added years of inexplicable strikeouts, painful collapses, excuse-ridden press conferences, and a Mets team without Reyes.
Read Cat's other articles on NYSS
Read 10 Reasons to Dislike Jason Bay by NYSG
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