Despite posting solid numbers, Bae Ji-hwan (New York Mets organization) continues to be passed over for a Major League call-up.
The Mets placed infielder Ronny Mauricio on the 10-day injured list (IL) on May 4 (KST), after he suffered a left thumb fracture during a head-first slide in the previous day’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. To fill the roster spot, the team promoted utility player Vidal Brujan and designated infielder Eric Wagaman for assignment.
This move means Bae missed out on another opportunity. After spending previous seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bae was once considered a promising prospect but struggled on both sides of the ball. He was waived at the end of last season, claimed by the Mets, and subsequently removed from the 40-man roster. He joined spring training as a non-roster invitee but ultimately lost out to competitors and started the season in Triple-A.
His hitting has been solid. Through 26 games with the Syracuse Mets, Bae was batting .322 (28 hits in 87 at-bats) with 2 home runs, 12 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases, ranking first in batting average among players with at least 50 plate appearances in Syracuse.
Despite that, the call to the big leagues has not come. Even as key players like Juan Soto, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr. landed on the IL, the Mets chose other options—Ronny Mauricio, Tommy Pham, Austin Slater, and now Brujan—over Bae. When a shortstop replacement was needed, the team bypassed Bae, who is reportedly considered unable to play shortstop at the Major League level, in favor of Brujan.
Brujan, a Dominican switch-hitter and utility player, was a former teammate of Choi Ji-man (Ulsan Wales) with the Tampa Bay Rays and of Kim Ha-seong with the Atlanta Braves last season. Like Bae, Brujan was a minor leaguer not on the 40-man roster, but he got the nod, reflecting the Mets’ low valuation of Bae.
On May 4, Bae started as the designated hitter in a game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He went 1-for-4 with a strikeout, hitting into two double plays.
