The Mets made a minor move over the weekend to secure more catcher depth, landing Ben Rortvedt after claiming him off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The corresponding move was placing Dedniel Núñez on the 60-day injured list, a right-handed reliever. Rortvedt has been all over the place over the past few seasons, even spending time with the Yankees after being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays.
However, he’s known for his defensive quality and not his bat. He does have a little bit of pop from the left side, but the Mets will certainly be looking at him as a defensive specialist rather than an offensive upside play.
The Offensive Numbers Are Brutal
Rortvedt’s 2025 season tells the story of a player who struggles mightily at the plate. Across 44 games and 128 plate appearances split between Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, he hit .152 with just one home run and a .240 OBP. His 31 wRC+ means he was 69% worse than league average offensively. That’s not a typo. He was historically bad with the bat.
His time in Tampa Bay was particularly rough. In 26 games (70 PA), Rortvedt hit .095 with zero home runs and posted a -13 wRC+. Yes, negative. After being claimed by the Dodgers, he improved slightly to .224 with an 83 wRC+ across 18 games, but that small sample size doesn’t erase a career of offensive struggles. His best season came in 2024 with Tampa Bay, when he posted an 87 wRC+ across 112 games, but even that was still 13% below league average.
His career .169 batting average (2021 with Minnesota) and .118 mark (2023 with the Yankees) show that offensive production has never been his calling card. The Mets aren’t signing him to hit. They’re signing him to catch, throw, and manage a pitching staff as a backup.
Defense Keeps Him Employed
Rortvedt’s value lies entirely behind the plate. He’s a strong defensive catcher with solid framing metrics (irrelevant now_ and a capable arm. The Mets need reliable depth at catcher, and Rortvedt provides exactly that. He won’t start regularly, but in a backup role where his offensive deficiencies are minimized, he can contribute by keeping the pitching staff organized and preventing runs defensively.
The corresponding move to place Dedniel Núñez on the 60-day IL creates the roster spot without forcing the Mets to make a difficult decision elsewhere. Núñez, a right-handed reliever, will miss significant time, and Rortvedt fills an immediate need for catching depth as the Mets head into spring training.
Rortvedt won’t make headlines, but he doesn’t need to. The Mets signed him to be a defensive specialist who can handle spot starts and give their primary catcher occasional rest. His bat might be non-existent, but his glove keeps him relevant.
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