Halfway through spring training, Anthony DiComo shared the story of Hayden Senger, whom many of us had never heard of at that point, and how he was competing for a roster spot after spending the last two offseasons stocking shelves at Whole Foods. Minor leaguers needing to work real jobs to support themselves and their families is nothing we don’t already know, but the story connected with me in a way I had not experienced in some time.
Senger became one of “my guys” during spring, and I put a lot
of my energy into rooting for him to make the Mets, even if his role on the roster would hardly make or break the club’s chances in 2025. Reading the story reminded me that, in the end, baseball is ultimately a human game, made up of both the All Stars and the minor leaguers who are doing their best to live out a childhood dream. It reminded me of just how much I love baseball and why I continue putting so much effort and energy into the sport.
Senger was drafted by the Mets in the 24th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He spent his time between 2018 and 2025 bouncing between the various tiers of the team’s minor league system, never really getting close to cracking the big league roster. The article itself could have just been a heartwarming story that painted the picture of a hard-working player trying to support his family and live out his dream, but when Francisco Alvarez suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, the path to the majors became crystal clear for Senger. In the end, he beat out the competition to make the show as Luis Torrens’ back-up.
Senger mostly served as a late-game defensive replacement and spent much of the year yo-yoing between Triple-A and Citi Field as Alvarez battled several injuries. He was a late inning replacement on Opening Day and struck out in his first career at-bat against the Astros. He made his first career start against the Marlins on April 2 and picked up his first hit, a double in his third career plate appearance. He scored his first career run four days later against the eventual-AL Champion Blue Jays in a 2-1 Mets win at Citi Field, a game that also saw him pick up his second career hit. It took until his 22nd career game, on August 1, to collect his first career run batted in. One day later, starting back-to-back games for the Mets, he had his best career start, collecting three runs batted in while contributing his second multi-hit game of the season.
Senger concluded 2025 slashing .181/.221/.194 with one double, four runs batted in, and eight runs scored. He was much more serviceable on the defensive side, as he picked up five Defensive Runs Saved behind the plate and posted above average stats at framing, blocking, and throwing (a +3 in framing, a +5 in blocks, and a +1 in CS Above Average, according to his Baseball Savant profile). It was his defense that helped him stick around these years in the club’s system, and his defense that made him a key contributor in Alvarez’s absence.
Senger’s 2025 story, while it will likely remain a footnote in another lost Mets season, showcased the perseverance of the human spirit against overwhelming odds. It was genuinely cool seeing a player seize the opportunity and get to live out the dream so many of us had as kids and so many in the minor leaguers still have, many of whom we won’t know as much about. Senger might return to the team’s farm system in 2026, or perhaps the team will find another player to sit behind Alvarez and Torrens on the depth chart behind the plate. But at least for me, Senger’s 2025 season was one to remember, and I’ll continue to cheer for him as long as he remains in organized baseball.
