HARRISON BADER, OF

Position: OF B/T: R/R

Player Data: Age: 31 (6/3/1994)

2025 Traditional Stats: 501 PA, .277/.347/.449/.796, 124 H, 17 HR, 54 RBI

2025 Advanced Stats: 122 wRC+, 27.1% K%, 7.8% BB%, .359 BABiP, .295 xwOBA, 3.2 fWAR, 3.9 bWAR, 7 DRS (LF), 6 DRS (CF), 0 DRS (RF),  3 OAA (LF), 3 OAA (CF), 0 OAA (RF)

RUNDOWN

Harrison Bader is a familiar face to Mets fans after serving as the team’s center fielder for the 2024 season. Bader has been known more for his glove than his bat throughout his career, earning the center field Gold Glove Award in 2021. He is a career .247/.313/.401/.714 hitter, which is good for a 93 WRC+. He is coming off his best offensive season by far, according to WRC+, and is likely seeking a multi-year deal.

So, did Bader do anything differently this year to lead to his increased offense, or was this largely driven by batted ball luck? Part of this was likely aided by an increase in BABIP in 2024 from .276 to .359 in 2025, but he did make legitimate changes in 2025.

For starters, he increased his bat speed from 71.2 MPH in 2024 to 73.5 MPH in 2025. This helped him increase his hard-hit rate from 36.7% to 42.2%, his barrel rate from 6.4% to 8.3%, and his 90th percentile exit velocity from 103.5 MPH to 106.4 MPH. Put simply, he more consistently hit the ball hard.

He also did this in part by trading contact rates for more power. His zone contact dropped from 85.8% to 79% and his whiff rate went up from 24.5% to 29.0%. He was more aggressive in the zone overall, going from 59.8% to 65.1%, and he chased slightly less at 32.5% compared to 33.6% in 2024. So, while he did have less contact and more swing and miss, he was swinging at more hittable pitches in 2025 and driving them. He hit all pitch types better in 2025 than in 2024, but in particular, he crushed fastballs in 2025, hitting .319 with a .475 SLG compared to a .258 AVG and .432 SLG in 2024.

So, is this sticky? Bader likely will not repeat the slash line he had in 2025 without further changes. He was still in the 37th percentile in hard-hit rate, 49th percentile in barrel rate, and while his 90th percentile exit velocity was in the 70th percentile, his 87.2 MPH average exit velocity was in the 18th percentile, and his 112.3 MPH max exit velocity was in the 61st percentile. He improved over 2024 but was still not putting up top-end power numbers. With these changes, he likely continues to outperform his 2024 stats, but not his 2025.

His center field defensive numbers in 2025 were also a step back from previous years, with him going from the 91st percentile in fielding run value with a fielding run value of 9 in 2024 to the 81st percentile with a fielding run value of 5. His reaction value per Baseball Savant went from -0.5 to -0.8, though his routes value stayed the same at 0.4. His feet covered went from 35.7 to 34.6.

CONTRACT

MLB Trade Rumors predicts Bader will sign a two-year, $26 million contract. Bader will likely look to capitalize on his 2025 season with as much term as he can.

RECOMMENDATION: WORTH CHECKING IN

The Mets are likely in the market for another outfielder after trading away Brandon Nimmo. They could look to sign a big bat and play Carson Benge or Tyrone Taylor in center field, or they could acquire a center fielder and play Carson Benge or left field. They could also acquire both a left fielder and a center fielder.

Bader likely only makes sense if it is a one-year reunion, which Bader likely wants to do better than. He also only makes sense if the Mets believe he is still an everyday center fielder, and if they are bullish on his offensive changes. It is probably unlikely all of these stars align, but it is worth checking in, nonetheless.