David Wright addresses the media before his No. 5 jersey is retired at Citi Field, Saturday, July 19, 2025.
Lloyd Mitchell/AMNY
The fifth annual “Battle of the Badges,” a charity baseball game pitting members of the NYPD against members of the FDNY, will return to Citi Field on Wednesday, Aug. 19, with former Mets captain David Wright once again hosting the special event.
This year’s showdown between the city’s bravest and finest is part of a special single-admission doubleheader. Fans who purchase tickets for the Mets game against the San Diego Padres at 1:10 pm ET that day will receive free admission to the “Battle of the Badges” at around 5:00 pm.
The Mets will donate $5 from all single-game and group-sale tickets to benefit local FDNY and NYPD charities.
“This is a date that I circle on my calendar each year,” Wright said in 2025. “The Mets are gracious enough to have us. The fact that I grew up in a first responder household, my father was a police officer. I learned at a very young age that these are the real heroes in the community, especially here in New York.”
Last time around, the FDNY defeated the NYPD 3-1 in a contest shortened due to inclement weather. Still, the FDNY defeated its opponent in 2024. New York’s Bravest hold a slight 14-13 lead in the series.
“For these three hours, they want to beat each other’s brains in, and I just love the competition,” Wright previously said. “I love the trash talk. I love the quality of baseball, and more importantly than anything, I love the support and the graciousness that the city has for its first responders.”
Fans will have the opportunity to watch the NYPD and FDNY, featuring former professional and collegiate players who serve as first responders, face off in an exciting matchup. In the past, friends, family, and fellow first responders filled the stands to root for the city’s heroes.
Overall, the “Battle of the Badges” is another way for the Mets and Wright, who visits firehouses and precincts across the city during the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, to give back to the communities they serve.
“Just walking through the city this morning before I came here, you see the support for the firefighters and police officers walking around the city,” Wright concluded. “It’s unfortunate that, whether it’s today or whether it’s 9/11, we only celebrate these men and women one or two times a year. I think on a daily basis, more people should consider or go up and shake the hands of these great men and women to say thank you for what they do on a daily basis.”
