Emerging New York Mets prospect talks about unexpected journey

Former 24th round draft pick Hayden Senger has a shot to make the New York Mets' roster with catcher Francisco Alvarez injured.

Kerry Kauffman | Mar 16, 2025

Mar 26, 2022; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets catcher Hayden Senger gets high fives from teammates after scoring a run during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

Hayden Senger's climb through the New York Mets' organization is as remarkable as unexpected, considering he was drafted in the 24th round in 2018. To put that in perspective, the draft was reduced to 20 rounds in 2020. The 27-year-old told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo that he spends his offseasons stocking shelves for Whole Foods in Nashville, Tennessee.

This story was aggregated from an exclusive interview from Anthony DiComo of MLB.com

Senger has battled through the Mets' organization the last seven years. As of three seasons ago, Minor League salaries were as low as under $5,000 per season. Two years ago, the Triple-A minimum sat at $35,800. Therefore, to make ends meet, Senger would report to work at Whole Foods four days per week during the summer, stocking shelves for six hours.

Meet longtime Mets catcher Hayden Senger, a minor league grinder who spends his offseasons stocking shelves at Whole Foods to make ends meet.

Quite suddenly, he has a real chance to make his MLB dream a reality:https://t.co/UJtogVZlKD
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 15, 2025

Senger's day doesn't end after his shift at Whole Foods; instead, he heads to get some work at the batting cage or the gym before finally going home to spend evenings with his wife. The fact that Senger has taken on a second job and spent seven years battling through the Minor Leagues is quite the story. Having a legitimate shot at making an MLB Opening Day roster is even more remarkable.

The kind of work ethic needed to battle through the Minor Leagues is seen at his job at Whole Foods. Senger's manager, TJ Sanfilippo noted, "He comes in, he says hello, and then he just gets to work. I don’t have to say anything. I’ll see him making a huge dent into grocery just in the six hours he’s there. It’s almost like he works 10 hours per day in the results he shows."

Hayden Senger right on target 🎯 pic.twitter.com/aiaLNgzn33
— New York Mets (@Mets) February 22, 2025

Senger's opportunity opened when backup Luis Torrens became the starter following the hamate bone fracture sustained by Francisco Alvarez. Now, Senger battles Jakson Reetz, and Chris Williams for a roster spot. Williams has shown the best bat of the three while Reetz is the only one with Major League experience.

Senger has two hits in 10 at-bats with two walks in seven Grapefruit League games this spring. He spent time at A, AA, and AAA last season, slashing a combined .234/.302/.363 with 3 home runs and 29 RBI in 171 at-bats over 55 games.

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