Jared Young, 1B
Player Data: Age: 31 (07/09/1995) B/T: L/R
Primary Stats: 103 G, 342 PA, .266/.330/.429/.759, 82 H, 17 2B, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 46 R, 3 SB, 25 BB, 63 SO
Advanced Stats: 113 OPS+, 111 wRC+, 18.4% K%, 7.3% BB%, .305 BABIP, .321 xwOBA, 1.0 fWAR, 1.7 bWAR
2026 Salary: $1.15M
Jared Young by Roberto Carlo
Grade: B
2026 Review
Jared Young’s 2026 season ended with a thud — literally, as he suffered a concussion — but the 31-year-old was a nice little surprise during the dog days of a miserable season for the Mets.
Young had previously shown flashes of success but had never appeared in more than 22 MLB games in a season. With the Mets signing Jorge Polanco, Young didn’t immediately have a clear role on the 2026 Mets.
But while Polanco’s season failed spectacularly, Young got some extra rope and took advantage of it. He was an above-average hitter by both OPS+ and wRC+ in a decent sample size of 100-plus games.
Through May, Young was limited to 39 plate appearances — but he performed well in that span, hitting .303 with an .840 OPS. He started receiving consistent playing time in June and hit five of his home runs that month. Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, his numbers started to fade as he played more; he hit only .205 with a .271 OBP in June.
Much of his season’s remainder operated in the opposite way. He only hit three home runs the rest of the year — one in each month — but he settled into solid production overall. Young hit .288 with a .780 OPS in July, then .298 with an .802 OPS in August. He had a .346 OBP in 14 September games before he took a season-ending head injury.
Overall, while Young didn’t quite sustain the fast start he got off to, especially in the power department, he was still a good piece for the Mets.
Young took 280 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers and hit all nine of his home runs in those chances. He hit .275 with a .793 OPS against the positive side of the platoon. In 62 plate appearances against southpaws, he hit .228/.290/.316.
2027 Outlook
Young is still pre-arbitration and isn’t set to be a free agent until 2032. Initially signed as a depth piece, Young has been a success story for the Mets.
Where he fits into the 2027 Mets, though, isn’t exactly certain. The Mets are still paying Polanco $23 million next season, presumably to play first base. While the vast majority of Young’s MLB fielding experience is at first base, he’s also played corner outfield, third base and second base in the minors. He could DH, too, depending on the lineup configuration. Whether Bo Bichette opts out could also play a factor in Young’s outlook.
Young isn’t young anymore, as he’ll turn 32 next summer, but he could still find a place somewhere in the middle of the Mets’ order next season. If nothing else, Young is a nice story. He went to high school in Kelowna, British Columbia, before making collegiate stops in Oklahoma, North Dakota and Virginia and then getting selected in the 15th round by the Cubs. It took him a long time to find a consistent MLB opportunity, and he finally got one this year — it will be interesting to see if he gets another.
