Why David Wright will always be a fan favorite

Not many professional athletes have what it takes to be the captain of a team. There are multiple ways you can determine whether or not one qualifies as someone who can take on such a valued role. I, for one, feel that it must be a player who performs exceptionally well on the field while also showing great professionalism off the field and in a team's clubhouse. New York Mets star David Wright was a player who checked all those boxes.

What made David Wright so admirable in the eyes of Mets fans

During his time as captain of the Mets from 2013-2018, David Wright was the definition of a franchise player. But the question here is why was David beloved so much by the Mets fanbase? Besides the fact that he broke eight franchise records, Wright knew that playing in New York was not easy but he always handled it perfectly, even during rough times. No matter how bad the team was, there was always one bright spot and it was the guy wearing #5 and playing third base.

The biggest goal, in not just baseball but all sports, is to win. The Mets did not do a lot of that during David Wright's time with the team as they only reached the postseason three times in his 15 year career. After four straight losing seasons from 2009-2012, David Wright was soon to be a free agent. Instead of leaving to go play for a team that had a better chance to win the World Series in the near future, Wright decided to stay with New York, signing an 8-year, $138 million contract extension. By proving that he wanted to stay in New York and play for the Mets despite the lack of success, David Wright instantly built himself a very special place in every Mets fan's heart.

Wright struggled to stay healthy for most of that eight year span but still found ways to make an impact on the field, especially during the Mets' magical run to the World Series in 2015 as he provided multiple clutch hits in that postseason. You could argue that no player in that Mets clubhouse deserved a chance to play in the World Series more than David, so to see him fight so hard to get back on the field so soon after a very serious back injury was nothing short of remarkable.

It was those types of efforts that cemented David Wright's legacy as a New York Met. It's why he will always be a fan favorite.