The Mets clearly see something in Jared Young.
The left-handed hitting slugger hadn’t appeared in a big-league game since 2023 with the Chicago Cubs, but David Stearns decided to take a chance on him this offseason — handing him a one-year split contract.
Young impressed during spring training, but an injury set things back.
The 29-year-old eventually worked his way back into the lineup at Triple-A Syracuse and showcased the big-time power he displayed so often last season while playing with the Doosan Bears of the KBO.
He earned a call-up to the big-league team earlier this weekend and found himself inserted right into the lineup as the designated hitter for a big three-game series against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Young was relatively quiet, but Carlos Mendoza said pregame Tuesday that the team was happy with the at-bats he’s been putting together, and they were just looking for him to get into a groove and do some damage.
A few hours later, he was able to do just that.
Young kept the Mets’ first inning rally going against White Sox righty Jonathan Cannon, crushing a middle-middle cutter over the right field fence for the team’s second two-run homer of the inning.
It was his third-ever long ball and his first MLB hit since October 2023.
Two innings later, he struck against Cannon again, this time lining a double just out of the reach of Michael A. Taylor in the right-center field gap to give him just the second multi-hit showing of his career.
He finished the night 2-for-3, bringing his OPS to 1.083 through five games.
“He’s getting an opportunity back in the big leagues after grinding,” Mendoza said. “Whether it’s minor leagues going up and down or going overseas — getting the opportunity here in the States, here we are getting a chance and he’s taking advantage of it.
“Like I said pregame, I like the at-bats and it was good to see him get results today.”
With lefty DH Jesse Winker still having a ways to go in his recovery from an oblique injury, Young figures have an opportunity to continue showing what he can do at the big-league level over the next few weeks.
After just a few days, he feels right at home with this group.
“It’s awesome,” Young said. “Looking at this team from the top down, it’s pretty good ballplayers and winning a lot of games. To get thrown into it, I feel like I belong and I feel like it’s a good spot and a good fit. And hope we can just keep winning some ballgames.”
Read the full article here