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Angels' former second round pick gets Mets lifeline as options dwindle

And just like that, the offseason started.
ByBrian Burrows
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May 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Kyren Paris (19) returns to the dugout following the top of the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
May 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Kyren Paris (19) returns to the dugout following the top of the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the offseason officially underway, the Angels started prepping their roster with a couple of minor transactions. One of those moves included placing a former second-round pick on waivers, where the New York Mets claimed him.

The Angels made Kyren Paris the 55th pick in the 2019 MLB Draft The California native was drafted out of Freedom High School in Oakley, California, up near San Francisco. The second baseman worked his way up through the minors and made his MLB debut in 2023 as a September call-up.

Paris was given opportunities in parts of four seasons with the Angels, but was never able to play well enough to stick in the show. His 15 games in his debut season resulted in a .100 batting average and a .300 OPS. The righty got a 21-game run in 2024, but still hit just .118 with a .440 OPS.

Paris had one mildly successful stint in the majors two seasons ago, and the Mets are betting on building from that

2025 was his longest and most successful stint in the big leagues, but it was still widely underwhelming. Paris made the opening day roster and played 44 games. He still only hit .190, but his OPS was up to .647. He had 11 extra-base hits, including six home runs. He split time between second base and center field, and had a +2 Fielding Run Value. It resulted in a career-high 0.8 bWAR, but he was still optioned at the end of May and didn't play in any other major league game that season.

Paris played just eight games in 2026 and had just 15 at-bats in 2026. It was his final season with options, meaning if the Angels had kept him, he would have needed to stay in the majors all season. With the Mets claiming him, they will need to keep him on the major league roster all season or place him back on waivers.

At only 17 years old at the time of the 2019 draft, Paris was MLB Pipeline's No. 50 player on the draft board. He was projected as a four-tool player who could develop into 12-15 home run power. He was unable to develop for the Halos, but had a successful 2026 season in Triple-A where he had an OPS near 1.000 in 60 games. The Mets are betting on a versatile defender and that they can develop his hitting tool.

It's an unceremonious goodbye to another member of the Angels' 2019 draft class. They traded their first-round pick that season, Will Wilson, just months after drafting him to persuade the Giants to take on Zack Cosart's entire contract. It's just another draft bust by the Angels.

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