Paul Articulates - Who stays? Part 2: Outfield

With a re-designed core and many new players and a deep reserve of prospects, this year’s spring training will become an intriguing competition for spots on the opening day 26-man roster.  

This series will take a look at the players that are in position to compete for a slot on that roster but are not a lock.  We will look at the pros and cons of carrying them with the MLB team when they break camp with the alternative being depth and development pieces in the minor leagues.

Some players are very well established as MLB regulars that are not reasonable candidates for demotion, so for the purposes of this review the following list of players are considered locked down on the MLB Roster:

Infielders: Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, 

Outfielders: Juan Soto, Luis Robert Jr., Tyrone Taylor

Pitchers: Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley

Catchers: Francisco Alvarez; Torrens

Given this list, and MLB rules that allow only 26 players on the active roster from opening day through August 31st, and that a maximum of 13 pitchers can be listed among the 26 players, there will only be room to carry five more pitchers and five more position players beyond what is listed above.

Today we will take a look at the outfielders that are vying for those five “contested” spots:

Outfielders on the 40-man roster: MJ Melendez, Nick Morabito, Jared Young, Brett Baty*, Vidal Brujan*

*: Baty and Brujan were also discussed in our infield competition but since they are listed in the NY Mets outfield depth chart, they are discussed here again.

Nick Morabito - Morabito is fast, has a great glove, and has hit well at every level through AA.  Last season in Binghamton he played 118 games, slashing .273/.348/.385 and stealing 49 bases.  He led the Rumble Ponies in Hits, Stolen Bases, and RBI and was second in runs scored - on a team that also had Jett Williams.  He will show well in spring training, but will undoubtedly begin the year in Syracuse for further development.  Don't pull a hammy in that cold weather, Nick!

MJ Melendez - David Stearns signed Melendez to a one year contract for $1.5M in an effort to help him realize the potential he showed as a KC Royals top prospect.  Melendez has good power and an elite throwing arm, but failed to realize that potential at the major league level with the Royals.  Sometimes it takes a different look, a different coaching approach, or maybe some key insights from the technology in the hitting lab to unlock that potential.  He has a lot of competition in spring training with this long list of prospects and one-year signees.  If he hits and keeps his K rate down, his strong arm in right field could be a big plus for the team.

Jared Young - Jared saw time with the Mets last year that is typically defined as "a cup of coffee".  He logged a few innings at DH, 1B, and LF for the team and rode the shuttle between New York and Syracuse a few times.  He hit .300 in 75 games with AAA Syracuse last year, so he is not to be dismissed.  His ability to play both 1B and corner outfield could help, as those are two unsettled positions on the club.

Brett Baty – Baty has a strong shot at making the roster as an infielder.  He has been part of the active roster for four consecutive seasons.  Although he has had his ups and downs over this period, his 2025 season was his best.  He slashed .254/.313/.435 and played adequate defense at second base and very good defense at third.  Baty would normally be part of the “sure thing” list to start the season, but with all of the reworking of the roster and re-vamping of the core, we take nothing for granted this year.  I find it particularly interesting that he is listed on the depth chart in left field even though he has not taken a single rep in an MLB outfield.  My put: this is not how he makes the team.

Vidal Brujan – Vidal is another one of David Stearns’ insurance policies.  He was traded to the Mets for cash by the Twins in this off-season.  With only 3 years of MLB service, Brujan has plenty of team control remaining.  He is a versatile fielder, having shown the ability to play several positions, including second base, third base, and both corner outfield positions.  Brujan’s play to make this team is his versatility to play both infield and outfield.  The question is whether he can outplay Melendez and Baty during spring training.  His career batting history does not favor a positive result here.  Given that he is not out of options and the other three are, I would bet that Brujan will begin the season in Syracuse and yo-yo a bit to cover injuries.

Outfielders not on the 40-man roster but with spring training invites: Ji Hwan Bae, Carson Benge, AJ Ewing, Cristian Pache, Jose Ramos, Mike Tauchman

Ji Hwan Bae has legitimate outfield experience.  In 163 games over four seasons he has a career slash line of .223/.294/.293, which does not crack many starting lineups.  However, he is close to flawless in 165 outfield chances since 2022 so he fits the role of late inning defensive replacement.  Clearly his best shot at making this team is to show some bat to ball skills since we know he lacks power.  His career OBP is about 100 points below where it would need to be to find any considerable playing time in a Mets outfield.  Let’s see what new hitting coach Troy Snitker and the hitting lab can do with Ji’s stroke.

Carson Benge is the talk of the town.  With the fastest rising star amongst players that have not yet been called up, this kid looks like the real deal.  He has adjusted to the pitching at every level in the minors until a very short stop at AAA.  In every level prior to that, he posted an OBP above .400 and an OPS over .850.  He has held his own across all three outfield positions.  Oh, and by the way he swiped 22 bags last year.  I think the only thing that holds him back from breaking camp in the majors would be a cautious decision to give him a little more development time.

AJ Ewing is another up and coming player that has the versatility to play both infield and outfield positions, the speed to rack up 70 stolen bases last year, and a very healthy bat.  Ewing spent 28 games at AA Binghamton last year and slashed .339/.371/.430 showing everyone he is ready for the next step.  Although it is an honor to be invited to MLB spring training this year, his next step is likely to play in Syracuse as there are a few (Benge and Morabito) ahead of him in the pipeline.

Cristian Pache has seen time with six MLB teams, including three within the division: Atlanta, Miami, and Philadelphia.  Pache is a light hitting, solid fielding player from the Dominican Republic.  Like Tyrone Taylor and the many defense first center fielders that have been listed on Mets rosters, Cristian will hit or he will sit.  

Jose Ramos is an interesting invite.  Not too long ago (2024), Jose was a top 30 prospect in the coveted Dodgers development organization.  There is good reason for this: Jose is rated with a 55 power tool and a 70 arm!  He was a top player for Panama in the 2023 WBC and has had some eye-opening homers in his minor league career.   That he could not crack the Dodgers’ MLB roster is not a slight.  He has raw talent that could explode upon the scene in spring training, or maybe after some development time in the high minors.  He may be a long shot for the Mets’ April active roster, but keep an eye on him.

Mike Tauchman is a brand new addition to the crowded spring training outfield.  He has seen action in well over 100 MLB games in each of the three outfield positions.  Tauchman, who played right field for the White Sox last year as well as some at-bats as DH, will be giving MJ Melendez, Carson Benge, and Tyrone Taylor some serious competition for that third/fourth outfield position.  With a good eye at the plate and a career OBP of .347 he is more than just a defense-only former center fielder like many past Mets acquisitions.  At age 36 he does not seem to be declining - it is actually the opposite with improvements in his offensive numbers since 2021.  In a competition full of guys that have potential they never reached, Tauchman seems to be on a vector to achieve his.  I'll be watching to see if he can punch his ticket this spring.

To summarize this widespread competition for a few outfield slots, the important thing to remember is that the Mets are already going to reserve spots for Soto, Robert, and Taylor.  That means that there is only one or maybe two outfielders that will make the team.  Versatility will be very important, defense matters, but someone that can hit and hit with power would be ideal.  Melendez, Tauchman, and Benge fit the model.  The others are likely going to have to prove more at the next level down.

What is your read?