The three most underrated power hitters in New York Mets history

3) David Wright hit 242 home run, second only to Darryl Strawberry in New York Mets history

It’s almost crazy to put David Wright on this list. But, in reality, Wright’s power never really was appreciated. He was never considered in the same light as Dave Kingman, Darry Strawberry, or Mike Piazza. And for good reason. He wasn’t on par with them with regard to the sheer power they displayed. But Wright was a throwback. A guy who had amazing power to the opposite field. His line drives over the right centerfield walls were where he displayed the most power.

Wright, like his mentor Howard Johnson, had the speed to go along with the power. He hit 30 home runs only twice in his career, and came close another time hitting 29. And he joined HoJo as a member of the 30-30 club once. But he was more of a doubles machine (he eclipsed the 40 mark five times) and high average hitter, averaging .296 over his 14 seasons.

Wright lost valuable time because of injuries, yet still put up some great numbers. But even in his best power season, he hit 33 home runs. And once he attempted to alter his swing, it affected his batting average and became less productive. He was viewed not as a power threat, like a Darryl Strawberry, but more of an overall offensive threat who could hurt you with some pop if he got a hold of one.

The Mets captain hit a number of clutch long balls during his time with the Mets, some truly memorable homers. But whether it was the pitcher-friendly Shea Stadium, or the funky dimensions at Citifield, or, perhaps, his bad back that prevented him from being recognized as an elite power presence in the Mets lineup.