A 37-year-old native of Norfolk, Virginia, Wright was selected 38th overall by the New York Mets in the 2001 MLB Amateur Draft and spent his entire 14-year career with the National League (NL) East franchise. Wright made his big-league debut in 2004 and finished 19th in NL MVP voting the following season after recording 27 home runs, 102 RBI, and a .306 batting average. He finished among the top 10 in NL MVP voting in each of the following three seasons and won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award in 2007 and 2008. He had a career-best 33 home runs and 124 RBI in 2008.
A seven-time All-Star, Wright last represented the Mets in the All-Star Game in 2013. He played his last full season in 2014 and was limited to less than 40 games in each of the following seasons as a result of a herniated disc in his neck and spinal stenosis. He missed the 2017 season and was able to play two games in 2018 before being forced to retire. Wright concluded his career with 242 home runs, 970 RBI, and a .296 batting average.
