NY Mets prospect is playing his way into becoming a Rule 5 decision

It may be time for the New York Mets to take a new approach to roster construction. Over the past few years, the organization has been intent on pursuing the most alluring talent in free agency and it hasn't really panned out for them so far. Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco are two prime recent examples of acquisitions that have failed to deliver the expected value and overall, it seems like the front office is looking to clamp down on spending.

If the Mets do decide to instead look inward, the answers for their roster problems are less clear. They don't have the same talent density as other organizations like the Dodgers or the Rays and MLB Pipeline's most recent rankings placed them as the 18th-best farm system. However, despite the lack of top prospect talent, the Mets do have some players that are starting to break out and when it comes to the Rule 5 draft, there's another player that they may want to protect.

Kevin Parada is starting to turn his year around just in time for the Rule 5 draft

Parada was the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Georgia Tech. He started 2023 as the organization's No. 3 prospect but was out of the Top 30 by 2025. His development seemed to stall but after five minor league seasons, he's finally starting to show signs of life.

After a rough offensive start to the season, a promotion to Triple-A was seemingly all he needed to start posting numbers deserving of a first-round pick. Across 84 plate appearances, he hit to a 108 wRC+, notably getting on base at a .373 clip. He returned to Double-A Binghamton at the start of July, again starting off slow but since the start of August, he has hit to a 200 wRC+ with a .750 SLG.

Parada's newfound confidence seems to have improved his swing decisions and consequently allowed him to make much better contact. His Weighted On-Base Average in Double-A has doubled from 2.13 in July to .482 in August and it doesn't seem like he's slowing down anytime soon.

For now, the Mets have sufficient depth at the catcher position but with Francisco Alvarez continuing to be a defensive liability, the team could have just enough of a potential need for Parada for him to be added to the 40-man roster. If this surge continues, it won't be long before he's on a roster but if the Mets don't recognize his value, they may end up playing against him instead of with him.

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