David Wright will be honored Saturday at Citi Field by having his No. 5 retired by the Mets. 

But twice Friday, people who knew Wright well said if things had worked out just a bit differently, it wouldn’t be just the Mets celebrating Wright. 

“David is one of the greatest players,” Billy Wagner remarked during a Zoom call ahead of his upcoming induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame next weekend.

“If injuries hadn’t held him back, he’d likely have a shot at the Hall of Fame,” added the former Mets closer, who played several seasons with Wright in Queens. “He’s an incredible leader, a wonderful person, and an exemplary teammate. I’m thrilled because he truly deserves this recognition. In my opinion, he is the embodiment and captain of the Mets. We’ve seen many icons like [Tom] Seaver come through the Mets, and David stands right alongside those legends.”

A few hours later, one of Wright’s old managers, Terry Collins, shared a similar sentiment while praising the third baseman. 

“He was incredibly significant to the organization,” Collins commented before the Mets played the Reds at Citi Field, where both he and many others will be present to support Wright.

“He’s absolutely humbled by what’s gonna happen [Saturday],” the manager said. “And I talked to him and told him, ‘If you don’t get hurt, we’re gonna be talking about what’s gonna happen [later] in July [at the Hall of Fame].’ But he was just happy to do what he could do as long as he could do it.” 

For Wright, that meant playing 14 years for the Mets before the back and neck woes that plagued the latter part of his career eventually led to his retirement in 2018. 

His impact began when Wright was drafted by the Mets with their first pick in 2001, continued through his MLB debut in 2004 and the team’s most recent World Series appearance in 2015. 

Wright missed more than four months of the 2015 season, diagnosed with spinal stenosis, before he returned to the lineup in late August, with the Mets holding a healthy lead in the NL East. 

Collins recalled Wright telling him he didn’t expect to hit in the middle of the lineup when he came back or disturb the way they were performing. 

“He always put the team first,” Collins said. “That’s why we named him captain.” 

But instead of listening to Wright’s lineup advice in his return in Philadelphia on Aug. 24, 2015, Collins penciled Wright in the cleanup spot, and he responded in style to lead off the top of the second inning. 

“What does he do?” Collins said. “He hits a homer his first time up. … He came back and did that and then hit that World Series home run [against Kansas City].” 

And his presence still is felt now, with Francisco Lindor noting how special it was to be given the same locker Wright had at Citi Field. 

Lindor also politely declined to discuss in detail the possibility of being named the Mets’ first captain since Wright in deference to Saturday’s festivities. 

“It’s always great to be mentioned with him, but this weekend is about David Wright,” Lindor said. “He deserves all the love. Whatever happens with [the captaincy], happens. But nothing can take away from David Wright.”