NY Mets waiver pickup is their next A.J. Ewing, or another Cristian Pache

When a team makes a waiver claim this early in the offseason process, it says something about how they view that player. However, when a team is ready to cut bait with a player just after the World Series ends, it says the opposite. Such is the conundrum with the newest member of the New York Mets' roster, Kyren Paris.

The Mets picked up Paris after the Los Angeles Angels decided to waive the soon-to-be 25-year-old. In a corresponding move, New York DFA'd outfielder Cristian Pache. Paris played in just eight games for the Angels in 2026, going hitless in 15 at-bats while striking out eight times.

While it's very possible that there's nothing to see here and that Paris is simply waiver fodder, ready to be churned out the moment something better comes along that strikes David Stearns' eye, there is some reason to be excited about the youngster.

A second-round pick back in 2019, the Freedom High School product was one of the youngest players in the draft, oozing with athleticism but incredibly raw. He was one of those prospects who had a sky-high ceiling, but also a frighteningly low floor.

Unfortunately, Paris's pro career started off in the worst way possible. He debuted the very same year, but his season ended after just three games due to a broken hamate bone. He, along with the rest of the minor league world, would miss the entire 2020 season due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Then, his 2021 campaign would be cut short after he suffered a broken tibia. He'd play just 50 total games over his first three seasons.

He also had the misfortune of being drafted by the Angels, who have run a masterclass in how to destroy prospects. Rapid promotions have been a theme for them, and by the end of 2022, Paris found himself in Double-A. Still, despite all the setbacks, he was ranked as Los Angeles' No. 4 prospect as recently as 2024.

Which side of the sliding scale does Mets waiver pickup Kyren Paris end up on?

The Angels called up a way-over-his-head Paris in 2023 and again in 2024, and though each big league stint was short, they were far from productive. He hit .100/.200/.100 over 15 games in 2023, and .118/.224/.216 in 21 contests in 2024.

During the 2024-2025 offseason, Paris was determined to make a change. He enlisted the help of Aaron Judge's private hitting coach, Richard Schenck, and began working out directly with the controversial coach who is also known as "Teacherman."

Like Pache this year, Paris came into 2025's spring training red hot. He hit .400/.449/.667 with two homers and four steals during the warm-up period. His stance had been completely overhauled, making him look like a mini-Judge at the plate.

Once the bright lights of the regular season flipped on, Paris didn't stop hitting. Over the 2025 season's first three weeks, from Opening Day through April 15, he was arguably the best hitter in baseball, slashing .366/.458/.805 with five homers and five stolen bases over his first 49 plate appearances.

In typical Angels' fashion, they couldn't leave well enough alone. Paris had always been a middle infielder, playing primarily second base, with some additional experience at shortstop. In the midst of his would-be breakout, they decided that he should play center field, a position he had just 17 innings of professional experience at, all of which had come back in 2023.

Obviously, if the story ended there, Paris would not be a Met today. While he looked like Judge at the plate and he was hitting rockets like Judge, the one thing he didn't have was Judge's eye. Plate discipline was a major issue for the youngster, and once opposing pitchers realized he couldn't lay off breaking balls in the dirt, that was all he saw.

Paris would get a few more weeks to figure things out, but by the end of May, he had completely cratered and was sent down to Triple-A. His 2025 line plummeted to .190/.266/.381 as he struck out 42.1% of the time.

This year, Paris spent time in both Double-A and Triple-A, with the majority of his at-bats coming at the higher level. Overall, he restored some of his luster, batting .274/.384/.458 with 13 homers and 24 steals. He did strike out at a 29.4% clip, though.

As A.J. Ewing has reminded us this year, development is rarely linear, and a young player can come out of the gate like gangbusters, only to hit a wall as the league adjusts. Ewing is actually a pretty good comp for what fans can expect from Paris, too. Both guys have impressive power-speed combos, with Ewing being a bit faster and Paris possessing more pop. They both can play either second base or the outfield as well, as Paris has emerged as a solid defender on the grass.

Again, you never want to get too high on a waiver claim, but Paris is still younger than a guy like Nolan McLean. He clearly has tools, but he has spent a long time in an environment where the organization had no idea how to nurture him. Now, with the right coaching, he might finally reach his full potential. However, there's a non-zero chance that he's back on the unemployment line next week.

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