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Baseball has a funny way of making fools out of spring optimism. A few loud March games, a couple of opposite-field doubles, a slick backhand play, and suddenly we\u2019re talking about breakout seasons at the office water cooler. But now that the calendar\u2019s flipped to April, reality\u2019s tapping a few New York Mets on the shoulder, and fans are starting to recognize the feeling. The swings look familiar, and the results are hovering around numbers we\u2019ve seen before. It\u2019s still early, sure, so we can\u2019t exactly go full Will Ferrell mode and scream about keeping our composure\u2014but a few names on this roster are already giving off that unmistakable vibe: this might not fix itself.<\/p>\n
Of all the spring headlines not involving contract ink, the biggest story was that Brett Baty had seemingly found his swing. After 51 at-bats in Port St. Lucie, it looked like the struggles of the past three seasons had been put to rest. A .353 average, 1.186 OPS, four home runs, and 11 RBIs will do that. Add in a few solid plays at second base, and the breakout was coming. Fans were optimistic, hoping this was the start of something bigger for the young third baseman. The narrative seemed to shift overnight as if the wait was finally over.<\/p>\n
Then the season started. Now, 12 games and 27 regular-season at-bats later, the numbers tell a different story. Baty\u2019s hitting .111 with a .259 OPS and 11 strikeouts, and his chase rate is in the bottom 10% of the league. He\u2019s struggling to make consistent contact, and his approach at the plate looks uncertain. Worse yet, his at-bats seem to be following him onto the field, as the pressure at the plate creeps into his defense. A key error in Wednesday\u2019s game against the Marlins only added to the growing concerns.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, Carlos Mendoza is fielding questions about Baty\u2019s confidence, something no manager wants to address this early. With Jeff McNeil on track to return by the end of April, Baty\u2019s opportunities may be running out. If things don\u2019t turn around quickly, his next stop might be Syracuse.<\/p>\n
Jose Siri, the 29-year-old outfielder acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason, arrived with a clear role: elite defense at a budget-friendly price. And on paper, he checked all the boxes. Siri finished last season with 16 Outs Above Average, placing him in the 99th percentile league-wide. His arm strength\u2014topping out at 93.5 mph\u2014ranks in the 97th percentile. Factor in a $2.4 million salary, and it looked like the Mets found a defensive upgrade for a fraction of what they paid Harrison Bader just a year ago.<\/p>\n
Of course, no one expected Siri to be an offensive force, but what he’s shown so far should raise some concern. His issues with strikeouts and a low batting average were part of the scouting report, but he had offset that with flashes of power\u201443 home runs across 812 at-bats the past two seasons. He even showed signs of that pop in spring training, hitting three homers and driving in 11 runs in just 42 at-bats.<\/p>\n
But now, just over two weeks into the regular season, the bat has gone cold. Siri is hitting .059 with a .318 OPS, one RBI, and five strikeouts in 17 at-bats. When he does get on base,\u00a0he typically makes it count\u2014he’s an efficient runner who scores more often than not. The problem is, he just hasn\u2019t been getting on at all. For a player who already came with offensive question marks, falling below even his modest career norms is hard to ignore. The glove may be Gold Glove-caliber, but if the bat doesn’t rebound, it won\u2019t take long for fans\u2014and perhaps the front office\u2014to start asking whether that tradeoff is worth it.<\/p>\n
Tyrone Taylor was never expected to be a middle-of-the-order threat, but he did carve out a role for himself in Queens last year. Over 319 at-bats, he hit .248 with a .701 OPS, seven home runs, and 35 RBIs, a solid return for a platoon outfielder brought in for his glove. He held his own down the stretch and delivered a few key hits during the Mets\u2019 late-season playoff push. Taylor was exactly what the team expected: a reliable defender, ranking in the 86th percentile in Outs Above Average and the 90th percentile in arm strength, who could hold his own at the plate in the right matchups.<\/p>\n
But through the early days of 2025, even those modest expectations have started to slip. Taylor is hitting .154 with a .308 OPS, one RBI, and zero runs scored across 26 at-bats. The Mets now find themselves with two similarly profiled outfielders in Taylor and Jose Siri, both struggling to hit and offering overlapping skill sets in the field.<\/p>\n
With the minor league season now underway and a player like Jett Williams knocking on the door, the clock could be ticking on how long this current alignment sticks. Taylor has always been a role player, but if that role isn’t producing on either side of the ball, the Mets might have to look toward someone who brings a little more upside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Baseball has a funny way of making fools out of spring optimism. A few loud March games, a couple of opposite-field doubles, a slick backhand play, and suddenly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":47520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n