Picture this: it’s the final week of spring training, and you’re fighting for the last spot on the Opening Day roster. You know the odds are against you, and the only realistic path to making the team is an injury opening the door. That’s exactly what happened to New York Mets utility man Jared Young.
How Jared Young’s Emergence Has Put the Mets in a Tough Spot
Note: All stats entering play on Saturday, June 6
When Mike Tauchman went down with a torn meniscus late in camp, Young earned the final bench spot on the Mets’ roster. Few could have predicted what would come next. The 30-year-old would go on to hit .350 in 20 at-bats with two doubles and play incredible defense in both left field and first base, before tearing his own meniscus like Tauchman.
Before a month and two weeks’ wait to return, Young hit .350 with an .841 OPS through his first 11 games. He picked up right where he left off after rejoining the Mets, posting a 143 wRC+ through the end of May while earning regular starts at first base. Young has homered three times and has bumped up his season OPS to .945. The Mets viewed Young as an afterthought, and now he’s surprisingly become one of their most important offensive pieces. So much so, that the club has been pencilling him in the third and cleanup spot in the lineup.
Demolished! 😤 pic.twitter.com/OGSEAqXDLy
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 6, 2026
Young has been a bright sight for a Mets lineup that has been among the worst in Major League Baseball, ranking towards the bottom in several key offensive stats. His defensive versatility has also been huge for New York. Manager Carlos Mendoza has been able to put him at first base almost on a regular basis now.
Drafted in the 15th round (30th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in the 2017 MLB Draft out of Old Dominion, Young was never considered a top prospect. Instead, he was seen as organizational depth and was ranked as high as 24th in the Cubs system by Baseball America. The Canadian never found his footing with Chicago and decided to travel to South Korea for a change of scenery.
Young signed with the KBO’s Doosan Bears in July 2024, smack in the middle of his season with the Cubs. He finished out the year with Doosan, hitting .326 with 10 home runs in 38 games before eventually agreeing to a deal with the Mets ahead of the 2025 season. He appeared in 23 games for New York last year. Young re-signed with the club during the offseason on a one-year, major league deal and has since seemed to find his role with the Mets.
An Upcoming Dilemma
The Mets have a future decision to make, and one that they will absolutely need to make correctly. Jorge Polanco, whom the team signed ahead of the 2026 season to be the everyday first baseman, had been dealing with physical ailments since the second week of the regular season. The Mets eventually put Polanco on the injured list on April 18 with Achilles bursitis and a wrist contusion. Ever since Young came back from his own injury, he has assumed the everyday first base job.
“Baseball is a game of confidence. You get a little confidence and get to play a little bit.. you run with it. That’s kinda what I’m just keeping in my mind”
Jared Young on what he can pinpoint that’s working well in his game right now: pic.twitter.com/jIZFfugmmv
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 6, 2026
Polanco is on his way back, however, as he has begun rehabbing in minor league games since May 27. It will likely take him the full 30-day rehab clock to get re-acclimated. This is a Mets lineup that has been grasping at straws. They’ve been plagued with injuries up and down their lineup, with very little to smile about. Young has been the most feared bat in the lineup other than Juan Soto. After Soto, the next highest OPS among qualified batters is .686 (Carson Benge).
Nearing a return, Polanco is slashing a dismal .179/.246/.286, with a .532 OPS in his first 14 games as a Met. What the Mets choose to do with Mark Vientos will also be watched closely. The first baseman had high expectations coming into this season and has fallen short of them up to this point. The Mets hoped Vientos could recapture the form that made him a key contributor in 2024. Through the first two months of 2026, that resurgence has yet to materialize. Slashing .218/.253/.378 — while playing the worst defensively between both Young and Polanco, — is not what he or the Mets had in mind, and his time in Queens could be nearing an end.
Young is only on the Mets’ roster because of an injury. He’s only getting everyday playing time because of another injury. Yet every time an opportunity has presented itself, he has capitalized. Now, with Polanco nearing a return, the Mets will soon face a question few expected to ask in June: how do they keep Jared Young’s bat in the lineup?
Main Photo Credit: © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
