NY Mets rookie Nick Morabito has an important series coming up vs. Rangers

New York Mets rookie Nick Morabito is getting a chance to show the team he belongs on next year’s Opening Day roster as the fourth/fifth outfielder. A role vacated upon the trade of Tyrone Taylor, it’s one the Mets can fill internally if Morabito is able to do one thing he hasn’t done yet at the MLB level.

As a right-handed hitter, the expectation is always that Morabito would manage to hit lefties well. Batting only .176/.282/.206 overall in the majors, he has yet to pick up a single hit in 15 plate appearances versus southpaws. 

This week’s series against the Texas Rangers can possibly have two lefty starters on the mound, MacKenzie Gore and Cody Bradford projected by Roster Resource. And even beyond just those two, the Rangers have four other lefty pitchers on their staff including Jordan Montgomery.

Nick Morabito has yet to do the bare minimum at the plate and hit left-handed pitching

Morabito was actually a really good hitter against lefties in Triple-A this season. His .296/.405/.439 slash line had all of the signs of him being a predictable splits hitter. It actually matched perfectly with the structure of the major league outfield. If Carson Benge or A.J. Ewing couldn’t handle the load against southpaws, maybe Morabito could be an option at least against some of the tougher ones.

Hitless thus far in those chances and not playing amazingly well against righties either, the verdict has yet to come in on Morabito. There’s always a case for a player like him to need some regular playing time in the minor leagues. A part-time role in the majors might just stunt chances to improve upon the weaknesses in his game.

Morabito has several intangibles that’ll make him a solid bench piece for the Mets if he’s ever to competently hit. He has great speed, stealing 42 bases in 46 tries at Triple-A this year. His defense is at least in the same conversation as Ewing.

The most generous ceiling probably never exceeds Morabito being more than a bottom-of-the-order type of bat. A power increase this year in Triple-A, hammering 13 home runs to set a new career high by besting the previous 6 from 2025, he has yet to do much in the majors with his bat. The opportunities have been minimal.

The Rangers having as many lefty pitchers as they do are sure to create opportunities for Morabito to start and pinch hit. In either situation, it’s a bit of a last stand moment for him to declare himself ready for those situations in 2027.

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