Amed Rosrio, SS

Player Data: Age: 23, B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 154 G, 592 PA, 9 HR, 51 RBI, 29 BB, 119 K, 24 SB, .256/.295/.381
Advanced Stats: .310 BABIP, 85 wRC+, .290 wOBA, 90 OPS+, 0.6 bWAR, 1.5 fWAR
2019 Salary: Pre-Arb
Free Agency: 2024

Grade: C

2018 Review

The 2018 season was Amed Rosario‘s first full one in the majors. For a Mets team that suffered plenty of injuries, Rosario was one of the few constant presences, appearing in 154 games, the most of any Met in 2018. With that being said, there were still a lot of struggles for the young shortstop.

Rosario struggled to get on base consistently and his strikeout numbers were high for a player who is projected as a leadoff hitter.An .OBP of .295 was disappointing for a player with Rosario’s skillset. However, as the season progressed Rosario developed into a stolen base threat for a team that seldom stole bases, stealing a team-high 24.

Rosario heated up over the last two months of the season. In August and September (and the first few days of October), Rosario put up a line of .284/.318/.413, good for an OPS .731. Rosario also hit much better on the road than at home in 2018, with a road batting average of .303, 99 points higher than his average at home.

Maybe the most disappointing aspect of Rosario’s season was his defensive performance. His defensive runs saved of -16 ranked second-to-last among qualified shortstops as did his UZR of -5.2. Rosario’s glove was praised as a prospect, so numbers like this are extremely disappointing.

Overall, 2018 was a disappointing season for Rosario, but he showed improvement as the year went on. He is only 23, so there is plenty of room left for development.

2019 Outlook

Amed Rosario will almost certainly be the Mets’ staring shortstop in 2019. There is still good reason to expect good things from him, despite a rocky 2018. He will have to clean up his defense and try to cut down on strikeouts, but Rosario still shows a lot of promise.

One thing the Mets will lean on him for is his speed. He led the team in stolen bases with 24. The runners-up in that category were Todd Frazier and Brandon Nimmo, who each had nine. Rosario is one of the team’s few threats on the base paths, so he would be well-served to get on base more.

Don’t call Rosario a bust yet. He is young and clearly has the tools to be a star. He will be a key piece for the Mets in 2019, and his level production will have a lot to do with the team’s success.