Non-Roster Invitee Preview: Kevin Parada
Kevin Parada is still with the Mets.
That wasn’t a given in 2026. The Mets left Parada off the 40-man roster in December, leaving him vulnerable in the Rule 5 draft. Even though Parada hasn’t developed in the way that a lot of scouts originally projected, leaving a former first round pick vulnerable in the Rule 5 draft is a risky move. Ultimately, other teams passed on Parada, and he entered camp competing for third on the Mets’ catcher depth chart behind Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens.
Kevin Parada, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
The Mets drafted Parada 11th overall in 2022 out of Georgia Tech. Parada was coming off an absurd collegiate season, slashing .360/.452/.709 over 305 plate appearances. He then played 13 games in the Mets system, split between rookie and low-A ball, slashing .275/.455/.425. His ability to get on based turned heads with the major baseball publications naming him a top-100 prospect before the 2023 season:
- Baseball America #50
- Major League Baseball #36
- Baseball Prospectus #64
With Francisco Alvarez making his major league debut in 2022, the Mets didn’t have to rush Parada’s development. Parada was largely successful the next season at Brooklyn (High A), slashing .265/.340/.447. Not as head-turning as his previous season, but still solid hitting for a catcher. A late-season promotion to Binghamton became a harbinger. Parada only hit .185/.250/.389 over 60 plate appearances. He spent all of 2024 in Binghamton and did a bit better, hitting .214/.304/.359.
Two things happened in 2025 that set the stage for Parada to have an opportunity in 2026. Parada had a largely successful stint with Binghamton, slashing .254/.326/.429. Meanwhile, the Mets tested their catching depth and had to rely on Hayden Senger. Senger, drafted in 2018, filled a need for the Mets, but fell short with his bat. Senger ended the season playing in 33 games, getting 78 plate appearances with a 20 OPS+. He is currently on the 40-man roster as the Mets’ third catcher.
A major reason Senger got the opportunity over Parada is defense. Senger is a strong blocker and framer, and his 1.89 pop time in the majors last season was in the 91st percentile. Meanwhile, there were 78 successful stolen-base attempts against Parada in 83 games last year, which is actually down from 89 in 73 games in 2024 and 129 in 72 games in 2023. Parada is also a below-average blocker.
If Parada can get off to a hot start in spring and put together a solid campaign in Syracuse, he could make a case to eventually get on the 40-man roster. After Alvarez and Torrens, the Mets’ depth chart right now is probably Senger, Austin Barnes (NRI), and then Kevin Parada. Injuries to catching depth across the league will dictate if Austin Barnes stays with the Mets by the end of spring training, but that’s a conversation for a future NRI preview.
Behind Parada on the depth chart is 21-year-old Chris Suero, who made it to Binghamton last season after putting up an .837 OPS in 301 plate appearances in Brooklyn. Suero is too far away from the majors right now to leapfrog Parada in a short-term 40-man roster stint. It feels like the conditions are set for Parada to make it on the 40-man roster at some point this season. Can the former top prospect seize the opportunity when it arrives?
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