New York Mets Player Evaluations: Outfielder Ryan Cordell

The very athletic Ryan Cordell came to the New York Mets in 2020 after two seasons with the Chicago White Sox. Cordell played in 97 games in 2019 but saw minimal action during his first season in Flushing. The Mets released him at the end of June before resigning him just a couple of days later. They ended up waiving him on October 26 to make room for Robel Garcia on the 40-man roster.

Cordell had all the athleticism anyone could look for in a baseball player but his offense trails behind. He came into the season as a .205 career hitter but was a tremendous defensive player. It was why the Mets decided to sign him as a free agent for Spring Training originally.

Defensive Specialist

Cordell only started two of the five games he played in and went 1-for-8 on the season. He struck out in three at-bats, all coming on breaking balls. It was Cordell’s Achilles heel in 2019 as he only hit .194 against the breaking stuff. Cordell’s only hit of the season came on the fastball, where six of his seven homers were against in 2019.

His defense and speed are no joke. Cordell played a good defensive outfield in his limited chances and had a sprint speed in the top 5% in baseball. Whether or not his future as a Met continues, he is a good depth option for outfield defense.

2020 Grades On 20-80 Scale (2021 Projection)

Hitting: 20 (20), .202 career hitter.

Power: 20 (25), .328 career slugging percentage.

Run: 60 (60), 4.19 sec average home to first in 2019.

Arm: 50 (50).

Defense: 60 (60).

Overall: 20 (25), Comparable to Billy Hamilton just with less speed and more power.

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