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Today is David Wright Day for the New York Mets, as the franchise legend is set to have his jersey retired and officially inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame. On Friday, ahead of the ceremony, Wright sat down with The New York Post’s Steve Serby for a wide-ranging interview—one that quickly made waves thanks to his honest reaction to Juan Soto’s decision to leave the New York Yankees and sign with the Mets this past offseason.
Wright, a seven-time All-Star who spent his entire career with the Mets, didn’t shy away from addressing the symbolic weight of Soto’s choice. In the interview, he acknowledged the history of the Mets vs. Yankees rivalry, while praising Soto for taking on the challenge of helping build something new in Queens.
“If I was looking at this in Juan Soto’s eyes — which I’m obviously not — what an exciting and fun and great atmosphere and climate to build up the New York Mets into what the Yankees have been for so many years,” Wright told Serby.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that, for a lot of the time, the Mets were viewed as kind of the little brothers of New York… to be able to change the course of the New York Mets, that evolution to make them a perennial winner, you’d cement your legacy in the history of New York sports.”
It was a clear endorsement of Soto’s move. More than just a blockbuster deal, it was a bold statement of ambition. His record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in the history of sports contracts, was the most stunning development of the Yankees’ last free agency cycle. While many expected Soto to remain in the Bronx after just one season with the Yankees, a year that ended in a World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, he instead chose to join the Mets, signaling a new era of competitiveness in Queens.
Wright’s message comes at a pivotal moment. The club returned from the All-Star break on Friday and opened the second half of the MLB season with an 8-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, exposing some lingering bullpen issues. But while the on-field results have been mixed, the legendary third baseman’s voice carries more weight than any box score. His confidence in the organization’s direction—anchored by stars like Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso—reflects the cultural transformation taking place under Cohen’s ownership.
For fans, Wright's comments feel like a passing of the torch. The man who once carried the weight of a franchise now sees a path forward led by a new generation. And in his eyes, the former Yankee slugger and World Series champion with the Washington Nationals could be the transformative figure that finally puts the Mets on equal footing in the eternal Subway Series rivalry.
