The New York Mets have multiple outfield options at their disposal. Juan Soto, Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo, Jesse Winker, and Tyrone Taylor are all capable of defending the corners. Some of them are even able to play a serviceable center field. However, the Mets are putting all of their faith in trade acquisition Jose Siri to play in the middle.
Jose Siri is an elite defensive center fielder
The Mets believe a good defensive center fielder can give them a huge boost by helping prevent runs. Siri is not just good, but he is among the best in the league.
While he hasn’t won a Gold Glove award yet, many people in the industry believe that he should have taken the hardware home last year thanks to his defensive prowess with the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 1,048.2 innings in center field, the new Mets outfielder, acquired in November in exchange for Eric Orze, delivered 12 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and a whopping 16 Outs Above Average.
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The Mets have a difference-maker on defense
Siri’s speed and athleticism allow him to make plays that very few other center fielders can complete. His defense is so good that the Mets are willing to absorb his inconsistent offense to have his glove nearly every day.
The term inconsistent doesn’t necessarily mean bad, though. Siri has power (43 home runs in the last two seasons), speed (26 steals over the same span), and flair. Although his 89 career wRC+ is below the league average, Siri does have some exciting upside if he can ever get his strikeout rate below 30 percent. It was 37.9 percent in 2024 with the Rays and is at 35.8 percent for his career.
All things considered, Siri is a very useful piece and contributes game-changing defense to the Mets. If he can deliver at least league-average offensive play, he could be a borderline star.
