Cristian Pache’s spring training surge looked like the kind of thing that can fool a fan base in March. A hot streak in St.
Lucie, a few loud swings, and suddenly the conversation starts drifting toward roster spots. The Mets didn’t bite, and the first 79 games and 309 plate appearances have only backed up why.
Pache came into camp with a preseason line of .419/.500/.710, but the Mets had already seen enough to keep him from forcing his way onto the roster. The opening finally went to Jared Young, and Pache was sent to the minors.
That decision looks even cleaner now. Pache is a career .181 hitter in the majors, and while he has been better in Syracuse and the upper minors, the production still hasn’t been strong enough to change the picture.
Across Triple-A for his career, he’s a .253/.322/.393 hitter. That’s not nothing, but it’s also not the kind of offensive profile that carries much weight when the bat is the issue.
He’s more of a tools player than a complete one. He can run, though not enough to pile up stolen bases.
He can handle the outfield. But as a hitter, he’s been below even what Tyrone Taylor has offered, and that leaves him with a thin path to meaningful big league work.
His Syracuse numbers this season haven’t pointed to a breakthrough, either. Pache is hitting .242/.289/.379 with five home runs.
He has 14 steals in 15 attempts, one of the few bright spots in his line. The problem is the swing-and-miss: 99 strikeouts in 309 chances, which is far too close to a strikeout in a third of his plate appearances.
That kind of profile is tough to trust in the majors, especially when the Mets have had other options. Pache was always supposed to be a stand-in for someone like Taylor, but the rise of A.J.
Ewing and Carson Benge made the need even smaller. When Taylor was out for an extended period, the Mets leaned on Brett Baty in the outfield when needed, and they even used MJ Melendez at times.
Pache is still only 27, so the name value from his prospect days - when he was ranked as high as the 7th best prospect in baseball - may keep him around. If he lasts with the Mets long enough, a bench role after the trade deadline isn’t out of the question. But the smarter play for the club would be to use those at-bats, pinch-running chances, and late defensive innings on Nick Morabito.
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