Dark horse NY Mets Opening Day roster candidate can bump the youngsters to the minors

Sometimes the most fun players are the ones we didn’t see coming. Jose Butto, Jose Iglesias, Dedniel Nunez, David Peterson, and Mark Vientos all fit the description in a variety of ways. It’s those kinds of players New York Mets fans tend to fall deepest in love with.

With the team considering its internal options at third base next year, we’d be overlooking one offseason addition if we completely ruled him out of the competition. After all, in a battle between players like Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Mauricio, this dark horse candidate has actually spent some significant time at third base. Acuna and Mauricio have not.

Jared Young came to the Mets on a split contract this offseason after rebuilding his stock over in Korea. Although primarily a first baseman and a regular in the corner outfield spots, he did play 27 games at third base for the St. Louis Cardinals in Triple-A last year. Appearances at the hot corner haven’t been infrequent, logging his third most number of innings there versus any other spot. Young would be a longshot to be the Opening Day third baseman. What about the possibility at first base with Vientos sticking on the other side of the diamond?

Jared Young can bump the Mets youngsters down the depth chart with an impressive spring

A lefty swinger who can play all four corner spots albeit best suited at first base and in left field, Young has an edge over some of those more youthful Mets players who haven’t been given the opportunity yet to explore other positions. Acuna has seen some time in center field. Mauricio, who won’t even be ready when camp begins, has played all over the infield. Then there’s Baty who looks like he might be able to be a third baseman, but his lack of offense should have us hesitant to reward him with any roster spot.

Young had a solid year in Triple-A, batting .285/.411/.506 with 11 home runs. It was his second straight productive campaign at the level, smacking 21 home runs and hitting .310 the year prior for the Chicago Cubs on the farm. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much in his 69 plate appearances in the majors. He is only a .210/.290/.436 hitter with a pair of dingers.

Slashing .326/.420/.660 for the Doosan Bears of the KBO helped land him on the Mets’ radar. So much so, he was handed a guaranteed contract. A remaining minor league option for 29-year-old can help keep him around without having to DFA him should the Mets choose to do what we thought all along they would: send him to the minors.

The best pathway toward some major league at-bats for the Mets immediately in 2025 may, however, require the Mets to bring in a veteran infielder. A reunion with Jose Iglesias, as an example, could create a unique platoon. Iglesias starts at third base against lefties with Vientos at first base. Vientos slides over to third base against righties with Young at first base.

Hopefully we get to see a lot of Young this spring. Capable of being a distinguished bat off the bench, we should consider him as much a candidate to make the club as any of the group more realistically vying for a third base job.