David Wright on Mets' 3B battle between Brett Baty & Mark Vientos and Hall of Fame chances (2024)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — David Wright remembers the feeling of being inundated with information from all angles during his playing career with the Mets.

The Mets iconic third baseman, who arrived for his daily appearance at spring training in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday, does not want to be a distraction to this year's team. But the seven-time All-Star is also willing to serve the needs of president of baseball operations David Stearns and new manager Carlos Mendoza.

"I'm very thankful that I had the opportunity that I had for so long to put this uniform on," said Wright, who spent 18 years in the Mets organization, including 14 as a big-league player. "Not many players get to experience being drafted out of high school, developed in the minor leagues and then be at the big league level for as long as I did on the same team.

"If there's anything whether it's on the baseball side, the business side, the sponsorship side that I can help with, I told them to just let me know."

David Wright on Mets' 3B battle between Brett Baty & Mark Vientos and Hall of Fame chances (1)

As for being more involved within the Mets, Stearns asked during an offseason phone call whether there was anything Wright would be interested in doing. Wright, however, feels perfectly content in remaining removed and helping out on his daughters' softball and soccer teams.

"The people that he hired and himself, I think he was here this morning at 6 o’clock. I joked with him, but you lead by example," Wright said. "That's how you do it. If you’re here early and you're the last one to leave, and obviously he's got the reputation as one of the brightest minds in the game, so I’ve got full confidence in that with or without me."

As David Wright returned, here are some of his thoughts on the third base situation, Hall of Fame and the state of the team:

Change in demeanor for Brett Baty, Mark Vientos

David Wright on Mets' 3B battle between Brett Baty & Mark Vientos and Hall of Fame chances (2)

Despite storming onto the scene and achieving rapid success as a rookie in 2004, Wright understands the desperation that can come with struggling at the big league level early on.

Watching Brett Baty and Mark Vientos during workouts, Wright noticed an encouraging shift in body language for the two second-year players who will factor into the third-base discussion this spring.

"Last year was difficult for a couple of those younger guys, but in a lot of ways, I think it's gonna help them in the long run, because in order to develop, you have to understand what failure feels like and how you bounce back from that failure to have success," Wright said. "It's one thing to always have success but when you experience that first type of failure, it shows me at least what kind of player you are, being able to bounce back and get out of that little rut."

'It's me against me':Mark Vientos sees clear path toward meaningful playing time in 2024

Mendoza echoed those sentiments on Monday afternoon, saying that Baty, who posted a .598 OPS in 108 games last season, appears in a "good spot mentally, physically." The Mets manager added that he is working with the coaching staff to make sure both Baty and Vientos received the proper playing time at third base this spring.

Vientos only spent 19 of his 65 games at third base last season. Through unsettled playing time, he managed a .620 OPS. Wright said he had brief discussions with the players on Tuesday and would be open to further dialogue if they sought him out.

"I don't think I can help them much on the field with their swing or their fielding or any of that," Wright said, "but I think between the ears, dealing with New York, dealing with the ups and downs, the successes and the failures, I think I can be somewhat beneficial."

David Wright stays on Hall of Fame ballot

David Wright on Mets' 3B battle between Brett Baty & Mark Vientos and Hall of Fame chances (3)

When Wright received the letter that he would be appearing on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, it immediately went on the wall in his office.

The former Mets third baseman finished with 6.8 percent of the vote in his first - more than the necessary 5 percent needed to ensure he would remain on the ballot for at least one more year.

"It was awesome, incredible honor and something I don't take lightly," Wright said. "To be able to stay on means the world to me, and just humbling, I think is the first word that comes to mind."

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Wright said that until recently he had not thought about his own Hall of Fame candidacy. The lifelong Met holds club records in hits (1,777), runs (949) and RBI (970).

"I've never really even thought about because when I put this uniform on a daily basis, it was genuinely, yes, we did it for a living and we were compensated handsomely for doing that, but I enjoyed it. I loved it," Wright said. "I tried to take that same mindset that I had when I was a kid putting my uniform on literally Saturday mornings, it’s the same mindset that I had trying to put this uniform on a daily basis for the New York Mets."

David Wright on Mets' 3B battle between Brett Baty & Mark Vientos and Hall of Fame chances (2024)
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