NY Mets shouldn't treat Nick Morabito the same way they did Austin Slater

The New York Mets have called up another kid, Nick Morabito, and dumped Austin Slater to clear a spot. Coming only a week after A.J. Ewing made his major league debut, the team can now put together an outfield of nothing but rookies whenever they choose.

Morabito’s minor league numbers this year include a solid .333/.421/.515 slash line against lefties in 38 plate appearances. By replacing Slater, the assumption was he’d be the go-to option versus southpaws both in the starting lineup and as a pinch hitter.

Carlos Mendoza confirmed this with SNY personality Sal Licata, also adding how it will allow the Mets to give players like Ewing and Carson Benge some time off as well. The righty versus lefty splits have been favorable this year for Morabito, however, in each of his last two years he has been a much stronger hitter against right-handed pitchers.

Nick Morabito might not be the ideal choice for the Mets against lefty pitchers they think he can be

Morabito hit .206/.296/.275 against left-handed pitchers in 2025. It was a huge drop from the .293/.364/.419 posted against righties. The results weren’t much different a year prior. In 2024, Morabito hit .331/.420/.410 against right-handed pitchers and only .221/.318/.338 with a lefty on the mound. Reverse splits 2, expected ones 1.

The recent success for Morabito against lefties does weigh more heavily. He’s also having a decent year against righties with a .230/.348/.354 slash line. That’s not bad for pitchers of the same handedness.

Mendoza’s job gets a little tougher when it comes to selecting when to use Morabito. Beating him into the ground and using him exclusively against lefty pitchers might just doom him. With how many lefties the Mets already have in the lineup, it makes the most sense.

They’ve been incredibly guilty of “playing the percentages” this year without actually looking at the results. MJ Melendez has only one official at-bat against a lefty. Rather than see what he could do for the Mets while he was actually steaming hot, he was regularly pinch hit for by Slater. Benge, Baty, Vientos, and others have regularly been sat in exchange for a hitter who swings from the other side.

Left-handed pitchers have had their way with the Mets this year (again). Luis Torrens (.300), Vientos (.292), and Benge (.292) are the only ones above .250. Bo Bichette way down at .192 on the year against southpaws is one of the tidbits that have hurt the club most. Marcus Semien doesn’t get off scot-free either. His .244 batting average looks okay but it comes with 1 RBI and a match of two extra-base hits (both doubles) with Baty.

Morabito isn’t here to play everyday but to be used situationally, at least to start things off. It’s an unusual approach for the Mets who’ve been steadfast in only promoting young players if they’ll actually play. Challenged to dig themselves out of an early hole, they’ve chosen a new strategy.

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