New York Mets: Five best third basemen in franchise history

1. David Wright

Was there really any doubt as to who would be number one here? David Wright was the obvious, and the only choice.

We often talk about the “face of a franchise”. Derek Jeter was known as that with the Yankees for a long time. He was the guy you most associated with the Yankees both on the field and off. If the Mets ever had a guy like that it was David Wright. He was the picture of class both between the white lines and off the field. He still is the face of the Mets franchise and you could plaster a picture of that face at third base. It would make sense.

Though his best feature has been his bat, Wright can pick it at third as well. Back to back Gold Gloves in 2007 and 2008 tell you all you need to know about that. Wright was a complete third baseman. After debuting with a .294 average in 2004, his average didn’t fall below .300 again until 2010 when he finished with a still respectable .283. Even after the injured years, he still averages 25 home runs per season, showing how consistent he really was when healthy.

Next: Five best shortstops in Mets history

The only thing left to tell in this story is how it is going to end. It’s a shame the way things have turned out. Wright’s injuries have come and he can’t seem to get back. The back problem is very similar to what happened to Don Mattingly years ago, and he was never the same player. Wright may not be able to play at all, but he is the only choice for number one.