Vincent Carchietta and Wendell Cruz-Imagn Photos
The Mets upgraded their outfield in an enormous approach this previous winter just by signing Juan Sotohowever even with the $765 Million Man hitting fairly nicely — if less than his personal excessive requirements — the unit has been one of many majors’ least productive to date. Now an damage has shaken up the roster, as Jose Siri has been sidelined by a fractured tibia, main the staff to check Jeff McNeil in heart whereas he’s on a rehab task and organising some additional experimentation.
The Mets acquired the 29-year-old Siri in a commerce with the Rays final November 19. By means of the primary two and a half weeks of the season, he shared time in heart with Tyrone Taylor; each gamers are righties, so the Mets didn’t have a strict platoon in place. On Saturday, Siri fouled a ball off his left shin, and whereas preliminary X-rays had been unfavorable, a follow-up MRI taken two days later revealed a fracture. The Mets lastly positioned Siri on the 10-day injured record previous to Thursday’s recreation, however they haven’t given any indication as to when he’ll return. As supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated“(H)e’s going to be out for some time.”
“Awhile” can be measured in months. Based on the Baseball Prospectus Restoration Dashboardthe few examples of position-player absences on account of tibia fractures ranged from 86 days (Tommy La Stella in 2019) to 160 days (Andre Ethier in 2016), with Nick Gordon’s 137 days in 2023 representing the midpoint; one has to low cost the 60-day absence of former Met Phillip Evans as a result of the 2018 common season ended earlier than he might get better.
Siri, who hit simply .187/.255/.366 (78 wRC+) for the Rays final yr, had began this season much more slowly, hitting .050/.208/.100 (8 wRC+) in 24 plate appearances; he’s collected 4 walks however only one hit whereas putting out eight occasions. Foul balls off of physique elements apart, he has not been making good contact, averaging simply 81.8 mph on his 12 batted balls. Given his velocity and his defensive prowess, he’s the kind of participant who doesn’t have to provide league-average offense to be helpful; he produced 1.9 WAR in 448 PA final yr regardless of his struggles on the plate, and Mets had been hoping he might at the least match that if not his 2.6 WAR and 106 wRC+ in 364 PA in 2023.
The 31-year-old Taylor, who hit a decent .248/.299/.401 (98 wRC+) in 345 PA for the Mets final yr, hasn’t been a lot better than Siri. Even with hits in his final two video games, he’s batting simply .174/.208/.217 (25 wRC+) in 48 PA. By no means what you’d name a affected person hitter — he owns a profession stroll charge of simply 5.3% — he has but to attract a free cross this yr, and is chasing 41.6% of pitches exterior the strike zone, a charge over 9 proportion factors increased than his profession mark. That stated, his 20.8% strikeout charge is a bit beneath his profession norm, and his Statcast anticipated numbers (.237 xBA, .357 xSLG), whereas not notably spectacular, aren’t that far beneath his marks from final yr, suggesting he’s able to approximating that manufacturing.
Perhaps so, however to date Mets heart fielders have been the worst within the majors by way of each wRC+ and WAR:
Lowest Group wRC+ in Middle Area
Group
PA
HR
AVG
OBP
SLG
wRC+
WAR
Mets
71
0
.138
.211
.185
21
-0.6
White Sox
73
1
.131
.239
.197
33
-0.3
Phillies
64
1
.132
.242
.208
36
-0.3
Braves
75
2
.176
.205
.294
37
-0.4
Tigers
71
2
.143
.217
.254
38
-0.2
Marlins
75
1
.191
.247
.265
46
-0.2
Rangers
61
0
.233
.246
.283
50
-0.1
Guardians
71
0
.203
.254
.281
56
0.1
Pink Sox
78
1
.211
.282
.282
61
0.2
Diamondbacks
74
0
.203
.284
.297
66
-0.1
Nationals
67
0
.196
.318
.214
67
-0.1
That slash line is downright pitcher-esque. What’s Noah Syndergaard (profession .153/.206/.266, 29 wRC+) as much as nowadays, anyway?
With Soto within the midst of a 2-for-22 slide that has lowered his seasonal slash line to .221/.361/.412 (123 wRC+) in 83 PA, and with left fielder Brandon’s Nimmo off to a gradual begin as nicely (.194/.253/.403, 87 wRC+ in 79 PA), the Mets outfield as a complete has the seventh-lowest wRC+ among the many 30 groups, and is tied for the fourth-lowest WAR:
Baseball’s Least Productive Outfields
Group
PA
HR
AVG
OBP
SLG
wRC+
WAR
Braves
205
3
.176
.232
.251
38
-1.2
Royals
220
3
.181
.249
.261
47
-1.1
White Sox
203
4
.198
.269
.275
60
-0.2
Pirates
250
6
.171
.292
.286
65
-0.3
Reds
226
2
.212
.302
.288
69
-0.1
Guardians
219
3
.226
.280
.312
74
-0.1
Mets
234
7
.184
.278
.335
79
-0.2
Rockies
208
5
.238
.308
.370
81
0.4
Astros
216
3
.238
.307
.317
83
0.4
Nationals
225
3
.209
.323
.294
85
-0.1
In case you’re searching for silver linings right here, whereas the unit’s .199 BABIP is the bottom among the many 30 groups, Mets outfielders are literally making higher contact than most. Their 47.2% hard-hit charge ranks seventh, whereas they’re eighth in common exit velocity (90.6 mph), eleventh in xSLG (.430), thirteenth in barrel charge (9.8%), and 14th in xwOBA (.328). Soto has been the best of the bunch, but it surely’s not as if he’s distorting these metrics both; his 7.3% barrel charge is definitely beneath the group’s mark, and his .438 xSLG and 49.1% hard-hit charge are solely barely above the remainder of the pack.
To exchange Siri on the roster, the Mets known as up José Azocara 28-year-old righty whom they claimed off waivers from the Padres final September. Azócar is extra of an organizational depth piece than an actual resolution, as he has but to point out he can produce as much as main league requirements. In elements of three seasons, he’s hit .243/.287/.322 (74 wRC+) whereas taking part in protection that’s been barely above common throughout all three outfield positions.
The staff does produce other inner choices for heart, together with Nimmo, who made 22 begins and 28 whole appearances in heart final yr, his first whereas commonly taking part in left. Rookie Luisangel Acuña performed 31 video games in heart at Triple-A Syracuse final yr, and had a number of appearances there within the Venezuelan Winter League as nicely. Whereas sharing time with Brett whip at second base, the 23-year-old Acuña has hit .263/.349/.342 (106 wRC+) in 43 PA, way more productive than Baty’s .209/.209/.302 (43 wRC+) line in the identical variety of journeys to the plate. Acuña can be the extra skilled of the 2 on the keystone, so transferring him to heart would carry a price, at the least till McNeil returns. “We’re getting ready Acuña for a possible begin (in heart) if we want him to,” Mendoza stated on Thursday. “He’s taking part in nicely. He’s incomes alternatives right here.”
As for the 33-year-old McNeil, who hit a modest .238/.308/.384 (97 wRC+) final yr, he strained his indirect in mid-March and has but to make his season debut. He started a rehab task at Excessive-A St. Lucie final Friday, and after three video games at second base, he began in heart on Thursday night time and performed six innings there. He made his lone putout on a formidable sliding catch within the left-center hole:
Jeff McNeil makes a sliding catch in heart subject!
McNeil is taking part in heart tonight on his rehab task for Single-A St. Lucie: pic.twitter.com/vWvsW9IR7O
– Minimize Mets (@Sny_mets) April 17, 2025
Whereas McNeil has practically 300 video games of main league expertise within the outfield, simply three of these have are available in heart subject, all in 2023. Previous to Thursday, he’d made three cameos in heart within the minors totaling 12 innings, however he did play heart for 21 video games at Lengthy Seashore State again in 2013, simply earlier than the Mets drafted him within the twelfth spherical.
If he had been to affix the middle subject combine within the majors, the lefty-swinging McNeil would match right into a platoon with Taylor; oddly, the Mets have confronted simply two lefty starters to date, together with the Astros’ Framber Valdez on Opening Day. In Soto, Nimmo, Baty, DH Jesse winkerand switch-hitter Francisco Lindorthe Mets don’t lack for bats with the platoon benefit towards righties, however they haven’t been capable of benefit from that, as Lindor and Winker have — you guessed it — began slowly as nicely. The staff at the moment owns a 92 wRC+ towards lefties, in comparison with a 96 wRC+ towards righties. Past the heroics of Pete Alonso (214 wRC+), it’s not offense that’s put New York atop the NL East standings with a 12-7 document, it’s a pitching employees with a 2.30 ERA.
Wanting additional down the street, later this season the Mets might check out Drew Gilbert in heart, at the least if issues go nicely. The 24-year-old Gilbert, a 2022 first-round decide who was acquired from the Astros within the 2023 Justin Verlander commerce, was the Mets’ no. 2 prospect final yr as a 50-FV heart fielder with plus velocity and above-average uncooked energy packed right into a 5-foot-9 package deal. Sadly, a proper hamstring pressure in his seventh recreation at Triple-A Syracuse value him two months, and he hit simply .215/.313/.393 in 56 video games on the stage, with unimpressive Statcast numbers (85 mph common exit velo, 26.1% hard-hit charge). He did shut his season on the next notice, homering 9 occasions in his ultimate 30 video games. Restricted by additional issues along with his hamstring this spring, he started this season on Syracuse’s 7-day IL, and after six video games on a rehab task at St. Lucie, made his return to Syracuse on Thursday night time, going 1-for-4 whereas taking part in heart. A strong efficiency over the following couple of months might put him on the radar for a call-up.
After all, if the Mets proceed to contend, they could possibly be available in the market for an improve on the commerce deadline. Theoretically, White Sox heart fielder Luis Robert Jr. can be the highest choice amongst gamers who could possibly be moved throughout the season, however after a disappointing 2024 marketing campaign, the 27-year-old Robert is off to a fair worse begin this yr (.136/.235/.203, 32 wRC+). Scroll again as much as the primary desk above, and also you’ll see that the staff’s wRC+ and WAR from heart outrank — rank being the operative phrase right here — solely the Mets. Robert is signed by means of 2027, and the White Sox count on a significant haul after they lastly commerce him, so there’s no sense in doing so whereas his inventory is so depressed.
The excellent news is that the Mets’ robust begin has purchased them a while to experiment with their handful of inner choices whereas hoping that Taylor comes round, and that Siri will get a reset as soon as he’s wholesome. Within the meantime, it must be fascinating to see how McNeil and/or Acuña take to heart, and the way the Mets fill the place in the event that they nonetheless want an improve later this summer time.
