Mets prospect Rowdey Jordan had a semi-breakout year in 2023

Rowdey Jordan came to the New York Mets in the 2021 MLB Draft in the 11th round. He has never been a sure thing to make it to the majors. It’s not for a lack of effort, though. Jordan, while not a major Mets prospect, was at least capable of doing a few things very well in 2023 to the point where we have to consider it a semi-breakout campaign.

The switch-hitting 24-year-old spent the whole year with Double-A Binghamton playing most of his time at second base and in center field as well as a few other positions. It’s not completely unusual for a minor leaguer to roam around defensively. What makes Jordan stand out is how well he did on the other side of the ball.

In his 509 plate appearances for the Rumble Ponies, Jordan slashed .230/.344/.389. He hit 13 home runs which came as a pleasant surprise considering he never had more than 10 in any season including his days at Mississippi State. More notable is how powerful his legs became. Jordan was off and running, stealing 30 bases and getting caught 5 times.

Mets prospect Rowdey Jordan deserves our attention

The ability to play multiple positions, especially center field, already puts Jordan into the conversation of having a bench role somewhere in the big leagues one day. Add in growing power and tremendous speed, it’s easy to see how the Mets could always turn to him in a time of need.

Jordan does suffer the same way many young players do in that strikeouts visit a little too frequently. He has 236 of them since joining the Mets organization in 246 games. In each of his three seasons, the number has been pretty balanced with slightly less than a strikeout per game.

His ability to get on base helps make up for it a little bit. He now owns a .344 OBP as a professional. His 65 walks and 12 hit by pitches helped him here. It’s not a new weapon of his. The hit by pitches is nothing new. He was nailed 17 times as a senior.

The expectation for Jordan next year should be for him to begin the year in Triple-A where he’ll enter a year of either hitting into a wall or plowing through it.

For prospects like him, it’s important to note their Rule 5 Draft eligibility. Jordan won’t be in that mix until December 2024. By then, the Mets will have to decide whether or not to protect him.

Carlos Cortes has had a similar career on the farm for the Mets and yet he has regularly gone unprotected. The same could happen with Jordan. As much as we appreciate the ability to play multiple positions, for some players not having anywhere to play puts them on the outs.

Jordan is unlikely to suddenly become a major prospect, however, if it’s speed the team finds themselves in need of later this year, he’s one of the top options they can turn to.