Catcher Kevin Parada (pictured above) was the 11th overall pick in 2022.
He is, at best, 5th in the Mets' current catching power rankings.
Ranked higher?
Yovanny Rodriguez looks like a future MLB catching starter.
Chris Suero has intriguing - even star level - tools, if he can rein in his strikeout rate.
Daiverson Gutierrez has shown good points and areas for improvement, but he is young and will likely be much improved in 2026.
Cesar Acosta is a very young DSL guy who Fan Graphs ranks as the Mets number 24 prospect - a lefty bat.
One guy who has done very well is Julio Zayas, who had a solid year in the FCL at age 19. Very strong offensive stats so far as a DSL/FCL pro.
With the Mets already having Francisco Alvarez as an emerging star catcher, and Luis Torrens his 2026 back up, we will know by September how well these prospects are advancing. It should be exciting to watch.
Of course, Kevin Parada was formerly a Mets top 10 prospect, so these prospect catchers need to keep developing to stay ranked or, better yet, rise in the rankings.
10 comments:
Hopefully, Parada will have us smiling the way he’s smiling in 2026. Of course, there will be doubters, but it is his job to overcome the doubts
Remember Parada's calling card was his offense, not his defense. Doesn't fit with the plan. His offense would have to improve significantly for him to stick with the organization.
I think the scouts got it wrong on this one. Parada was highly touted out of Georgia Tech, drafted in the first round, and then was found to have limitations like a below average arm once in the minors system. Even if his power bat comes around he will be behind other non-first-rounders in the Mets system.
His bat would have paved the way. His bat went AWOL. He may have found it starting mid-May last year. But…he was not snatched in the Rule 5.
Simply, he has yet to prove himself to be as much of an offensive force as Ruben Tejada..
Pete Alonso a career .253 hitter. Tejada? .250
70% of Tejada’s HRs were hit away from Citi Field. He had 10 total HRs. So, Citi Field cost him 4 HRs.
Kyle Tucker career in the Mets and Phillies’ parks? Just 5 for 35.
I am not a Tucker fan, let alone acolyte. He's a solid major leaguer who is good at everything relevant but not truly exceptional at anything. I honestly don't get the buzz around him at all
Mets signed Drew Romo in December and he is on 40 man roster while Parada isn’t. Romo is a switch hitter and should be the starting catcher in AAA and first catcher called up when Alvarez gets hurt. Better fielder than Parada and better hitting nubwrs at AAA.
AJ, I think Romo was also a first rounder. Not great. Likely better.
Stats-wise, Parada reminds me of high draft pick Blake Forsythe, who hit .226/.313/.378, with 36 bombs in 1409 PAs. Parada? .237/.321/.399, with 39 HRs in roughly the same # of PAs.
BUT…Parada still has a future to determine.
Forsythe never made it.
Tucker has generated 1 WAR per every 100 at bats. 600 at bats = 6 WAR. So he is buzz-worthy.
But at a huge price.
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