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When Jared Young went to the injured list in mid-April with a left meniscus tear, he was an afterthought in a struggling lineup. But after another standout performance, he is quickly cementing himself as the Mets’ best option at first base — and in the middle of the lineup.
Young was clutch in the Mets’ 5-4 win on Thursday at Citi Field to avoid a sweep against the Cardinals. He smacked a solo home run to right-center field in the first, capping a three-run inning. Then, in the fifth, with the Mets trailing by a run, he ripped a single up the middle to drive home Juan Soto.
Since returning from the injured list on May 26, Young has slugged four home runs and posted a .911 OPS. In 75 plate appearances, his .890 season OPS ranks second on the team, only behind Soto.
For a Mets offense that’s 29th in MLB in both on-base percentage and runs scored, manager Carlos Mendoza says Young provides the steadiness needed in the lineup.
“The consistency on the quality of the at-bats,” Mendoza said, pointing out how Young has impressed him. “A guy that, he’s 0-for-4, but you know the next day he’s going to show up and he’s not going to panic, he’s going to give you a professional at bat, he’s going to control the strike zone, and there’s always damage there. Left on left today, the homer, I think, understanding the situation, runners in scoring position, what the pitch is trying to do to him, so he’s been huge for us.”
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Young has hit the ball as hard as any Mets player this season. His 91.8 average exit velocity is right behind Soto’s 92.7. He offers protection for Soto in the lineup. That was on full display Thursday with Soto recording two extra-base hits with Young batting after him in the lineup.
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Along with hitting, Young has held his own at first base and made two nice plays on Thursday, fielding two hard-hit balls. First base has been a major issue for the Mets, who watched franchise legend Pete Alonso walk in free agency over the winter. Mark Vientos has seen the most time at first, since Jorge Polanco has been on the injured list since April 18, but he’s been bad offensively and defensively (-0.9 fWAR). Young, now healthy, could seize the everyday role as the Mets try to climb back into the playoff race.
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