WASHINGTON -- The route from Nick Morabito’s hometown of McLean, Va. to Nationals Park is nearly identical to the path he used to travel every day, commuting to Gonzaga College High School in downtown Washington. It was there that Morabito developed into a legitimate Draft prospect, drawing the eyes of the Mets and others.
Tuesday, as Morabito traveled to Nationals Park for his first game as a big leaguer, he traversed a nearly identical route.
“That was pretty cool,” Morabito said. “It brings back a lot of memories.”
“I grew up coming to this park, so it’s a pretty surreal moment for me,” Morabito said. “Just to be here, it’s very special.”
The Mets, who have benefited greatly from an infusion of youth and speed in recent weeks, decided to add even more of that to their roster in the form of Morabito. He joined fellow rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, the organization’s top and former top-ranked prospects, with a chance to make a similar impact. Benge was here on Opening Day. Ewing earned his callup just last week.
Combined, those three significantly increase the Mets’ athleticism, giving them -- on days when all three start -- one of the better defensive outfields in baseball.
“When we look around the league, that’s kind of the trend,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You’ve got guys that can run, that play multiple positions, they put the ball in play, they play elite defense. It just allows you to manage the game in a lot of different ways.”
Unlike Ewing, Morabito profiles more as a fourth outfielder capable of changing games with his speed and defense off the bench. Like Ewing, he can really burn thanks to what MLB Pipeline rated 70-grade speed on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has stolen 122 bases since the start of 2024 and is a sound defender at all three outfield positions.
In 41 games offensively for Triple-A Syracuse, Morabito hit .253/.364/.390 with six doubles, a triple, four home runs and 14 stolen bases. Over the offseason, the Mets’ 2022 second-round Draft pick worked specifically on his power, which showed up in games at Triple-A. He recently emerged from an 0-for-20 stretch to collect five hits in his past 13 at-bats.
“He’s here for a reason,” Mendoza said.
Morabito was challenged immediately in his Major League debut, making a balletic catch on a José Tena liner in the first inning before nearly -- but not quite -- grabbing James Wood’s inside-the-park homer in the second. An inning later, Morabito stuck his glove into the stands to grab a foul ball off the bat of Jorbit Vivas, resulting in a hard-earned sacrifice fly.
The eventful day ended when Morabito, who was controversially issued Gary Carter’s No. 8 before the game, announced that he will switch to No. 55 -- that one a number of his choosing -- on Wednesday. No Met had worn Carter’s No. 8 since 2001.
“Obviously would have loved to get the win,” Morabito said, summing up his night. “But to get out there, get my feet wet, first game, it was pretty surreal just to be in that environment.”
To clear roster space for Morabito, the Mets designated veteran outfielder Austin Slater for assignment, a source said. Slater had a .586 OPS in nine games.
Rather than rely on veterans such as Slater, the Mets have increasingly turned to their rookies in recent weeks, which includes a 7-for-23 start from Ewing, who also has a homer, a triple and two steals, as well as a breakout run from Benge. After producing a .416 OPS over his first 21 games, Benge has batted .345/.389/.488 in 24 games since, collecting go-ahead extra-inning RBIs three separate times in the past week. The Mets also plan to call up No. 13 prospect Zach Thornton to start Wednesday’s game.
“We felt like right now, we’re looking for the best 26 guys who are going to help us win baseball games here,” Mendoza said.
For Morabito, it’s merely a bonus that his debut occurred at the ballpark he grew up attending. When Morabito received word late Monday night, he immediately called his parents, who made plans to be in attendance along with a host of other family members and friends. Morabito grew up collecting Nationals bobbleheads. He owned an Ian Desmond jersey and idolized Bryce Harper and Juan Soto.
Now, he shares a clubhouse with Soto.
“It’s definitely pretty cool,” Morabito said. “I used to look up to these guys and watch them play, and now I’m here.”