SAN DIEGO -- The chances have been limited, but Jared Young sure has made the most of them.
The 30-year-old utility man barely made the Mets’ Opening Day roster, and that was after a spring in which he batted .150 over a miniscule 20 at-bats. It might’ve been hard for New York to envision him being as productive as he has been from the outset -- perhaps even harder to imagine him getting this many opportunities with all the injuries that have ravaged the roster.
Young’s second-inning solo home run got a Mets lineup that has been lacking a big spark all season going in an eventual 5-0 win over the Padres Friday night at Petco Park.
“He’s been an impactful bat for us,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Catcher Luis Torrens -- another player who has had to step up in the absence of starting backstop Francisco Alvarez -- blasted his first homer of the season and guided starter Christian Scott (5 2/3 scoreless innings) and the Mets’ bullpen to its third shutout victory of the season.
While many regulars have scuffled -- and/or been hurt -- several Mets role players have found a way to make their mark. Young is no exception. In fact, he has embodied that theme for New York.
After he was signed by the Mets in December 2024 following a successful stint with the Korean Baseball Organization’s Doosan Bears in ‘23, Young eventually found his way to the big league club to serve in the same role he does now: a left-handed hitter to platoon against right-handed pitching. His impact was minimal, but his performance in the Minors (.300 average with 17 homers and a .956 OPS with Triple-A Syracuse) was more than enough reason to keep him around as organizational depth.
After the spring he had this season, it came as quite the surprise when he broke camp with the Mets on their bench. It didn’t take Young long to prove that the decision was a good one; he filled in nicely in left field when Juan Soto was on the injured list in April with a right calf strain. But his early roll hit a significant bump when he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, which forced him to miss 39 games.
Young rejoined the club on May 26 and has appeared in all eight of the Mets’ games since. With Jorge Polanco on the IL, Young has received an extended run at first base. And even with Polanco expected to return from his rehab assignment very soon, it’s hard to see how the Mets don’t continue to give him chances to contribute.
“Gameplanning, working with the coaches and trainers and everything, trying to keep things as similar as they were before,” Young said of what has worked for him since coming off the IL. “Keep things as simple as possible at the plate.
“It’s easier when you get consecutive games to play and play more often. Gives you more chances to get out there and feel good.”
Young’s homer off Padres right-hander Michael King, his third over his last six games, left the bat at 111.1 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 422 feet into the right-field seats. He added a single in his next at-bat that left the bat at 109.3 mph.
“This is a guy who has the ability to control the strike zone,” Mendoza said. “That’s a big ball he hit there in that [second] inning against a pretty good pitcher in Michael King. He puts together consistent at-bats. It’s good to see him finally get an opportunity to play every day, and he’s taken it.”
For the Mets, quality contributions, no matter who is providing them, are incredibly important, especially in the lineup. A large part of the reason New York (28-35) finds itself 14 1/2 games back in the National League East, 5 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot and in such a deep hole over two months into the campaign is due to its lackluster offensive production.
The struggles have been well-documented, as have the injuries. But adversity breeds opportunity, and Young has seized his.
“It’s definitely a good stretch,” Young said. “You just got to keep your head where it is. Baseball is a crazy game, we all know that, and things can change pretty quick. Just got to keep things as even keel as possible.”