A NY Mets non-roster invitee who could beat Carson Benge for an Opening Day spot

Excluding the actual New York Mets prospects such as Carson Benge or even guys on the 40-man roster who seem more likely to begin the year in the minors like Dylan Ross, there are a group of newcomers to the organization known as non-roster invitees. Often joining teams with MLB experience, the non-roster invitee for the Mets who seems poised to have the best chance at making the Opening Day roster is a bit unique.

At 25, an age he turned on the first of the year, Jose Ramos feels like a guy who could actually be of some use to the Mets. Optional and with some big Triple-A numbers last year albeit in the Pacific Coast League, Ramos could be a candidate to sneak his way onto the team depending on how the rest of the outfield situation shapes up.

Ramos slashed .295/.359/.557 with 3 home runs in 167 plate appearances in Triple-A last year. His big issue were the strikeouts, fanning 51 times. It has been a running theme throughout his professional career.

Why we shouldn’t sell Jose Ramos short on making the Mets roster

Used in center field over any other outfield position, we immediately see ways the Mets can put him to use. He doesn’t seem to be a steady defender, owning a .977 fielding percentage as a center fielder. I know, I know. Judging a player’s defense by fielding percentage is like knowing who’ll be successful in life based on fingerpainting skills at age 4. A larger transition to the corner outfield last season while with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the minors suggests their realization of what he can and cannot do.

Even so, having the ability to fill in center field isn’t so bad. The Mets should ideally have Tyrone Taylor as a backup with some better at the position. Whether they do or not, Ramos feels like a strong candidate to become a fifth outfielder as long as he goes into St. Lucie and gives the Mets no choice.

His competition at the moment includes Benge and Nick Morabito. Morabito has yet to get to Triple-A and is only on the 40-man roster because the Mets needed to protect him ahead of last December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Interestingly, another outfielder the Mets picked up this offseason, Jose Rojas, is another guy who could conceivably be a match to make the team. Fans are sure to get them confused. We can already hear the Mets broadcasters in spring training getting tongue-tied if they’re ever in a game together. Rojas is a unique defensive player who spent last year in Triple-A for the New York Yankees playing everything but catcher, shortstop, and center field. There’s value there. His 32 home runs and left-handed bat might make him a good match for the bench. The downside with him is he doesn’t have options which would mean passing him through waivers if they wanted to keep him longer.

The benefit with Ramos is the Mets can plug him onto the roster with a plan to give Benge more time in the minors. Whether it’s only a few weeks or months, they aren’t at risk of losing anyone from the organization. Rojas, meanwhile, feels like a guy the Mets might want to wait to carry on the roster in case of an injury.