PORT ST. LUCIE — This is what sets David Wright apart: He understands the battle ahead.

Sure, the Mets have the best starting rotation in the world, but now that they are defending National League champions, the work is just beginning.

“The postseason is addicting, but we have a challenge,’’ Wright told The Post on Thursday at Tradition Field.

“We’re going to have a bull’s-eye on our back, we are not going to sneak up on anybody this year. When you are the National League champions, you get everybody’s ‘A’ game, not just the players, but the fans. The fans come out to root against you on the road, so it’s going to be hostile environments on the road, it’s going to be teams wanting to knock off the National League champs.

“Instead of the hunter, we are now the hunted. We’ll see how we respond to that.’’

The alarm is sounded.

The ’86 Mets thought they were going to win and keep winning, and here we are 30 years later and the Mets are still looking to win another World Series since that team beat the Red Sox.

The Captain will do everything in his power to make sure the Mets respond the way they should.

“We can’t rest on what we accomplished last year, we have to worry about coming together as a team this spring and getting the job done,’’ Wright said as he stood in the warm sun. “I want this team to play for one another like last year.’’

Wright had to battle back from spinal stenosis. His season was in doubt.

“Last year personally for me was a nightmare, having gone through the back thing and knowing this is going to be a challenge for the rest of my career, that sucked for me personally, but having gone through the postseason and seeing the look on all these guys’ faces, guys that I knew when they were 16, 17, 18 years old in the minor leagues, it’s so cool, like a big brother situation.

“I’ve invested a lot of emotion and love into this organization and this fan base. And to see the players and the fans be rewarded for their loyalty last year, seeing the excitement looking into the stands and the fans’ faces, that’s something I will remember through the years.’’

Wright understood the promise of the Mets’ future before any of us. When he signed his $138 million contract after the 2012 season, he knew the Mets were going to be a powerhouse even when they were struggling. He said back then he had “zero’’ remorse about staying.

“Just sitting with Sandy [Alderson] and ownership, it wasn’t what they said and the players’ names like Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, it was the look in the eye and the way they said it and you could just tell how excited they were,’’ Wright said.

Wright must stay on the field. Here is the plan: The third baseman is going to work backwards from Opening Day to get ready — make sure he is ready for that day, meaning less work in the spring, and when he is hurting then to back off.

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“I now understand what I am up against,’’ said Wright, 33, who played in only 38 games last season. “I understand the condition and what the good days feel like and the bad days feel like. I have a better understanding than when I came back last year. I didn’t know what to expect.

“When I came back last year, there were some highs and there were some lows. Now, there is no question in my mind that I can still go out there and play.’’

No question.

The Mets will need him to hold off the challenge of the Nationals in the NL East. “They’re a great team,’’ Wright said. “I think they will be a better team than they were last year.’’

The Mets have talent and chemistry.

“This team roots for each other,’’ Wright said. “I’ve been on teams where guys are rooting against each other so they can either play or they can be in the spotlight, and that is so detrimental. We have guys who are the opposite. We have guys who are emotionally and genuinely invested in seeing each other succeed and that is a cool thing.’’

Wright said the Mets’ home crowd lifts them as well. “You can’t put into words the advantage that gives you as a team,’’ he said of a fired-up Citi Field crowd. “We have a rowdy fan base. We want to use that to our advantage.’’

And make the most of that super pitching.

“They all get along, but they all compete against each other. They each want to be the ace of the staff,’’ Wright said of Matt Harvey & Co. “They all have that bulldog mentality, that heart.’’

It is going to take all that and more in 2016.