Former NY Mets first round draft pick sent back to AA despite .301 batting average

Batting average isn’t everything. This is 2026, not 1926 we’re living in. Yet, when you see someone hitting anywhere close to .300 these days, it should be considered a success. For a former New York Mets first round draft pick, it wasn’t close to being what the team wanted.

No Mets minor leaguer has been a bigger puzzle this year than Kevin Parada. The 11th overall pick from the 2022 MLB Draft hit .184 in 114 trips to the plate in Double-A. Then, in Triple-A, he managed to hit .301 in 84 chances. What?

Unfortunately for Parada, he’s heading back to Double-A. Fans on X tried to explain it, poor defensive results being one of those key reasons.

If a .301 batting average can’t keep Kevin Parada in AAA, what can?

Base stealers were 13 for 15 against Parada in Triple-A. A lifetime caught stealing percentage of 19%, throwing out runners has never been his thing.

The simplest explanation could be the desire to have Mets pitchers throw to Ben Rortvedt and Hayden Senger as exclusively as they can. Two players with MLB experience (milder for the former) and good defensive grades might be what some of those struggling arms need rather than working with Parada who is trying to carve out his own role within the game.

Landing in Triple-A in the first place was a bit of a surprise for many fans who didn’t see any stats to suggest he was ready for the next step. He never officially appeared to graduate from Double-A, instead sneaking up a spot for what has turned into a temporary stay. Suggestions that maybe he could be a solution behind the plate for the Mets in the future began on social media as they typically do whenever a player of any ability level does something well.

Now 24 with a birthday coming up in the first week of August, it does seem as if Parada’s days with the Mets are numbered. His defense never evolved. Upon his arrival back to Double-A Binghamton, he morphed back into the player he had been, going 0 for 4 with a walk and a strikeout. His batting average is now down to .176 in Double-A. He hasn’t hit a home run either.

How does it end for Parada? Anything but big league action with the Mets appears to be the answer.

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