3 under-the-radar NY Mets X-factors who could make a huge difference in 2025

3) Jose Siri

The Mets’ first big acquisition of the offseason was trading for outfielder Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays. One thing the Mets know they’re getting is elite-level defense in center field. Last year, Siri had +12 defensive runs saved and +16 outs above average. It is the third season in a row Siri has had double-digit OAAs. He was also in the 99th percentile of sprint speed and the 97th percentile of arm strength.

Siri is a potential Platinum Glove candidate, but his bat in 2024 was poor at best. In 448 plate appearances, Siri slashed a meager .187/.255/.366 with a .271 wOBA and 78 wRC+. He ran into some home runs with 18 dingers, a .179 isolated slugging percentage, and a 14.6% barrel percentage (94th percentile), but this is about where the positives end for Siri with the stick in 2024. He struck out at a 37.9% rate with a 41.9% whiff percentage and walked in just 6.9% of his trips to the plate.

But Siri did not have a poor year in 2023 while in the batter’s box. He mashed 25 home runs in just 101 games and had a .761 OPS, .319 wOBA, and 106 wRC+. Siri still struck out at a high rate of 35.7% and had a mediocre 5.5% walk rate, but overall, he was an above-average hitter because of his power output. That, combined with his elite-level defense, helped him put up a +2.6 fWAR in just 101 games played.

Siri was the 14th most valuable center fielder in 2023 per fWAR and did it in just about 100 games. He still had a +1.9 fWAR in 2024 despite his lack of hitting. The only Mets outfielder with a higher fWAR last season was Brandon Nimmo at +2.7, which about matches what Siri did in 2023, but in 50 more games. If Siri hits just a little more than he did in 2024, he’ll be very valuable for the Mets in 2025.