Recognition for unranked NY Mets prospect is already a clue he needs a position change

MLB.com took a look at every team’s 2026 draft class and the results. For each team, they named a top performer. Because the New York Mets were so pitching heavy in the draft, the competition wasn’t very deep. The Mets, and many teams, tend to let recently drafted pitchers sit out after their college or high school seasons and make their debuts the following year. In a shallow pool of options, a worthy name emerged, Ryan Tayman.

Taken in the 9th round, Tayman hit .316/.432/.579 with 5 home runs in his 21 games for St. Lucie. It should be considered a better than expected output. Generally, a 9th round pick isn’t someone we’d expect to do so well so immediately.

The 21-year-old came from the Big West Conference where he saw an explosion of power with 18 home runs with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It’s looking like the Mets might have gotten a pretty good bat. Where could he fit into the Mets plans? Well, he’s a catcher and probably not for long.

Ryan Tayman’s early success should have the Mets immediately rethinking his place as a catcher

Tayman isn’t regarded as a brilliant catcher, but he does have some strengths. His scouting report on Amazin Avenue shares a lot of what he does well in addition to an Achilles heel:

Behind the plate, Tayman has had less success. Most scouts and evaluators don’t feel that he will be forced to move off of the position anytime soon, as he is mobile, a good receiver, blocks the ball well, and is adroit at managing pitchers and their strengths and weaknesses, but his arm is below-average for a catcher, lacking arm strength and accuracy; as such, runners attempted to steal on him often, and Tayman managed only a 22% success rate, allowing 60 of 77 runners to successfully steal off of him.

You don’t need to watch a game or even look at a single baseball statistic to spot one more reason why Tayman might not be cut out to be a catcher. Size matters in sports. There’s also such a thing as being oversized. Listed at 6’2, he’s a larger than average target for a catcher. While no deal breaker, it tends to be the under 6’0 catchers who perform the best and make up most of the league. There are some extreme examples with Jacob Stallings at 6’5 being one of them. He’s not exactly what the Mets should be aiming for with Tayman whose offensive potential feels untapped.

The obvious move is to get Tayman to first base. At least some level of blocking the ball can be useful there. Third base is another place that if he is as athletic as the scouting report says shouldn’t be impossible to handle. I’d still expect him to move up the first base line as it seems to have a chance at the strongest positive outcome.

Tayman can defy the odds and become one of the taller catchers in the league. More than that, the Mets should carefully consider the wear and tear the position can take on someone who might actually swing a good stick. There’s no immediate need to pull the plug on catching. However, if Tayman continues to hit in 2027, there comes a point where that and teaching him a new position becomes a focus. He turns 22 next August which has him shuffling closer to the major leagues than some others. Recognized now as the best performer from the 2026 draft, he’s suddenly a name to watch and hopefully not forget all about.

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