Why the latest NY Mets roster addition can do more than just fill a seat

Going into 2025, the New York Mets felt that centerfield would be best left to a platoon option. They felt that Tyrone Taylor and the newly acquired Jose Siri were capable enough to provide decent value for the Mets during the season. However, that plan fell apart this past weekend when Siri broke his left tibia after fouling a ball off it.

This caused Siri to be placed on the injured list, and he'll likely be out for a while. This caused the Mets to call up Jose Azocar to replace Siri on the roster. While the plan right now is for Taylor to serve as the primary center fielder, with Azocar serving as the fourth outfielder. However, with what we've seen from Azocar so far, he can be much more than just a bench option.

What value does Jose Azocar bring to the Mets

Azocar got on many Mets fans' radar during spring training, after putting up decent numbers. Through 44 at-bats, he had 11 hits, with one home run, six RBIs, seven runs, and one walk. He also stole three bases during the spring. While his slashline doesn't look great, that's due to a bad slump he had towards the end of the spring. On March 16th, he had a slashline of .355/.394/.452, which caused some to argue he could make the Opening Day roster.

Through his first 41 at-bats in Triple-A, his numbers are very similar to what they were in spring training. He has ten hits, one of which was a home run, three RBIs, nine runs, seven walks, and an OPS of .733. He has also stolen four bases on six attempts.

Now these numbers aren't good enough for him to take the starting job away from Taylor. However, they're good enough to get him into games. He's not a complete liability at the plate, and with his above-average arm strength, the Mets can continue their platoon with Azocar taking Siri's place.

Another thing Azocar brings to the table is his speed. As mentioned earlier, between spring training and Triple-A, he's swiped seven bags in 2025, but that doesn't show how fast he truly is. According to Baseball Savant, he had a sprint speed of 29 ft/sec, which is in the 91st percentile. It also took Azocar only 4.29 seconds to reach first base from home plate, ranking 156th in the MLB.

Azocar can add some much-needed speed to the Mets' bench. Currently, the Mets have only three players known for their speed: Jose Siri, Luisangel Acuna, and Starling Marte. But with Siri injured, Acuna making a case to be an everyday starter, and Marte aging and platooning at DH, there is a question of who could be a pinch runner late in games. This is a role that Azocar fills perfectly, giving the Mets an edge late in close games.

While it may not look like much now, Azocar can be one of the unsung heroes of the 2025 Mets.