Kevin Parada looked done. The 2022 No. 11 overall pick stumbled his way through the minor leagues, failing to produce an OPS above the mid-700s in any of his first three full seasons. After starting 2026 in Double-A—his third year playing at the level—and hitting .184/.298/.224/.522, there was little hope left.
Then, he got promoted. It happened two days after Hayden Senger was promoted to the big leagues, so Parada was likely sent to Syracuse just to fill the void. But regardless of the reasons behind it, he was there. And, all of a sudden, he started hitting. In his first 16 games at Triple-A, Parada has hit .333/.389/.479/.868 with four extra-base hits, including one home run.
But is it real? Let’s find out.
Kevin Parada Triple-A percentiles from 2025 (left) and 2026 (right). Images courtesy of Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.
Parada also spent 16 games at Triple-A in 2025, so there’s a small sample size available to use as a comparison. Mostly, it looks really, really good. His contact rates are improved, as is his launch angle sweet-spot percentage, barrel rate and pull air percentage. He’s making a lot of contact, and hitting it at good angles. While he’s not showing great power, he’s hitting the ball hard frequently enough to play. Pair that with good swing decisions, and it makes a very solid offensive profile.
The verdict: Maybe. It’s just 16 games. It is way, way, way too small of a sample size to truly pull anything from. He has three full seasons of sample size that suggests that this is a fluke, but the underlying data suggests his Triple-A numbers are more than batted ball luck. He has now, at the very least, commanded more attention than he has since the day he was drafted.
All of a sudden, the probability of Parada becoming a big leaguer has risen greatly. Can he handle catcher? Who knows. Probably not, at least not over an extended showing. But he’s now made himself an option. If Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens gets hurt, Senger is still probably the first option to replace them. His bat leaves much to be desired, but Senger is an elite defensive catcher. That matters. If both Alvarez and Torrens go down, then Parada could get the call.
He’s at Triple-A, one step away from the big leagues. Even if it’s just briefly, the Mets will want to graduate their former first-round pick. If the Mets are out of it come the end of the year, and he hasn’t yet been forced up due to injury, Parada could head to Queens.
