NY Mets backup catcher option is the next coming of Tomas Nido with no clear ETA

A member of the New York Mets organization since 2018, we already know what life after baseball will look like for Hayden Senger. He’s going to have some role with the organization or maybe he returns to his native Ohio to work with a team there. Something about spending this much time with one franchise is telling about his dedication as well as a mutual kind of respect for what he does offer.

Senger’s journey through the minor leagues has been in baby steps, reaching Triple-A for the first time in 2022 and not for any significant amount of time until 2024. He’ll be 28 the day before the Mets play their home opener this year, making him one of those potential feel-good stories as long as it has a happy ending.

The sky isn’t the limit for Senger. He’s simply the next coming of Tomas Nido. In the Mets’ time of need during the absence of Francisco Alvarez, maybe he does get his shot after all, as long of one as it may be.

Where Hayden Senger fits into the Mets depth chart this season

Jakson Reetz and Chris Williams are here to provide the Mets with (some) offense at the major league level. Senger and his lifetime .235/.325/.360 slash line in the minor leagues will hardly make a dent in the scoreboard. He has never hit more than 5 home runs in a professional season. If the Mets were to turn to him at any point, it would strictly be because of his defensive skills.

Senger has been a regular at Mets camp in spring training for a couple of years now. Although never much of a consideration for the big league roster, he has gotten ample opportunity to work alongside big leaguers. He’s not some minor leaguer who has outworn his welcome or made it this far on where he was drafted. Senger is a quality defensive player whose ability to throw out runners is pretty remarkable.

Yes, it’s only the minor leagues but Senger has a caught stealing percentage of 31%. It reached 37% last year in Triple-A, continuing a trend of his. The inability to throw out base runners is what devastated the Mets early on in 2024. Reetz’s minor league career has him at an equal 31% with Williams trailing at 22%. There is certainly more to catching than throwing out base runners. What these three show in the spring and comments from the pitchers should matter most. 

Reetz, as the lone gunman of these three to have major league experience, seems to be the favorite internal option. It’s understandable.

None of these three have performed well this spring. Reetz is 2 for 16 with a grand slam accounting for his big dent on the stat sheet. Williams isn’t much better at 3 for 15 with a solo shot. Both have struck out 7 times as well. With the least amount of playing time of all, Senger has gone 2 or 12. Clearly not a battle of “what have ya done for me lately” and more about what the Mets can anticipate, a part of the decision may even come down to who they’d be willing to lose. The moment Alvarez comes back from the IL, the Mets may eventually decide to DFA whomever they do choose even if he has minor league options (all three do). Carrying a trio of catchers, with some lukewarm choices in Triple-A, isn’t ideal for a team like the Mets always actively adding to the 40-man roster.