Primary Position: Center Fielder

Bat/Throw: R/R

Age: 25 (December 15, 1994)

Acquired: Minor League contract signed on 1/9/2020

When it comes to non-roster invitees, there are some names that people will know. For example, Matt Adams and Chasen Shreve are players who have had Major League success, and are looking for a second chance. But for Johneshwy Fargas, it’s to create a name for himself at the highest level of professional baseball.

In 2011, Fargas was drafted in the 11th round by the San Francisco Giants out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. Although he’s only 25, he has a lot of minor league experience, as he was drafted at just 18-years-old.

After spending his first few seasons as a platoon player in Low-A Salem-Keizer, Fargas made his presence known in 2015, earning his first starting spot. In 410 at-bats, he hit .278 with two home runs and 35 RBI with a .347 OBP, numbers that may not seem flashy, but what stood out the most is that he could steal bases. On 78 attempts, he stole 59 bags, a number that was far and away the most in the South Atlantic League for that season. In the field, he spent 848 innings in the outfield, 820 of those as their center fielder.

Over the next few seasons, the 180-pound speedy outfielder split his time between both levels of single-A. In 2019, he got his first opportunity to play in double-A. He hit .249/.325/.334 with five homers and 33 RBI. The speed did not go away either, as he snagged 50 bags, while getting caught 23 times.

Key Numbers

As mentioned, Fargas can run. Over his six seasons of affiliated baseball, he has stolen 237 bases.

2020 Outlook

Although certain areas of his game are impressive, at 25 years-old, time is running out to prove himself. Even with his stolen base numbers being so high, he struggles to get on base. It is fantastic to have someone who can run like that, but a la Billy Hamilton, you have to get on base in order to run. 

The Mets outfield depth at the Major League level is pretty much set in stone. With a mixture of J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Jake Marisnick, Yoenis Cespedes, and Jeff McNeil potentially patrolling the outfield at different times this upcoming season, Fargas could open some eyes during his time with the big club in Port St. Lucie to find himself an every-day role in Syracuse.