1 NY Mets player we don’t need to see any more of this spring

Veterans who’ll be on the major league roster, members of the 40-man roster, and legitimate prospects who appear in spring training games all have justification for stepping between the white lines again in March. What about those New York Mets players who don’t fit any of the criteria? You might have grown tired of some of those guys.

You might be feeling a bit done with one of the free agent finds the Mets added to the depth chart this winter.

On the other side of the first overreaction to Bo Bichette at third base of 2026, we found Jose Rojas at first base. It was Rojas' inability to reel in the throw which made it a discussion. He has been getting significant time there which is fine as a test to see what he can do. His offense was the far more intriguing ability he could have possibly brought to the Mets. He mashed last year in Triple-A for the New York Yankees. This spring, he has entered “seen enough” territory.

Jose Rojas doesn’t need to play another game at first base this spring for the Mets

Rojas can get into games (and will) largely because it is exhibition action and several players are gone in the WBC for the next week or so. This should give Rojas continued playing time. It should be limited.

Rojas hit 32 home runs and drove in 105 in the minors last year. Doing it with an outstanding .287/.379/.599 slash line had him feeling like a nice minor league steal right up the alley of David Stearns.

While we sit in the “it’s only spring training” timeframe of the MLB season, we can pass quick judgments on guys like him. Spring is where he should thrive. Instead, we’ve seen an 0 for 13 performance with 4 strikeouts. Rojas has walked an additional 4 times and been hit by one pitch. Not a complete zero at the plate, his continued presence at first base only adds to the lack of interest we have seeing him in uniform for much longer.

First base remains one of the biggest questions for the Mets. Is it going to be largely Brett Baty with Jorge Polanco at DH? What can both of them do from a defensive standpoint? When Mark Vientos comes back from the WBC, he needs to play a lot of first base, too. Just about every game should involve one of those three at the position, if not more than one with a mid-game transition just to get every in-game rep possible.

Rojas is among the team leaders in games played with 8. Only Jacob Reimer with 9 appearances has been in more. Many of those frequently used players have struggled. Only Cristian Pache with a .563 batting average is taking full advantage of the extended look.

A proven power hitter in the minor leagues, Rojas should still have a chance to stick around regardless of how his spring ends. He has a minor league option remaining, adding to some of the value. It’ll just be difficult for him to make any significant headway on the roster with many of the positions he can play covered by better and/or more experienced players.