Each year at 213 we look through the Non-Roster Invitees to spring training and get to know them a bit. Are they in camp to get a look at big league hitting/pitching to aid their development? Are the Mets just trying to get a better look at a future rookie? Are they a veteran trying to get back to the major league level? What can we expect from them this season?
Jarrett Parker continues an interesting trend for the Mets. Outside of Tim Tebow, who doesn’t count, no outfielder drafted by the Mets/first signed by the Mets received and NRI this year. Interesting.
Jarrett Parker was a 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft by the Giants. He would later make his major league debut in 2015 and stayed a Giant until the end of 2018’s spring training when he was released. The following December he signed with the Angels and now he’s a New York Met.
His first taste of the majors was amazing. In 54 PAs in 2015 he hit .347/.407/.755. The next season he saw more time getting 151 PAs hitting .236/.358/.394. Things got crazy for Parker in 2017. He ran into a wall breaking his collar bone on April 15th which knocked him out until August. He still found time to get 177 PA’s hitting .247/.294/.416. He saw very little time with the Angels at the major league level last year going 0-12 with 3 walks in 15 trips to the plate.
Jarrett Parker did have a successful season in AAA last year hitting .266/.394/.535. The Mets in general have a crowded outfield at the major level that has players who are outfielders playing in the infield or wherever they can get ABs. If something happens to someone and the Mets feel that need another outfielder on the bench, then I think right Parker is the first one up. All 5 outfielders on the 40 man roster will be on the active roster if healthy so there is no one else ahead of him. The question will be can the Mets cobble an outfield together, in case one player goes down or Cespedes starts the season on the DL without Parker on the roster. I think the answer to that is yes (especially if Adams gets a long look in the outfield this spring).
