Siri Smacks First Spring Homer

Jose Siri can field and run, but he’s been erratic (to put it kindly) at the plate in his four-year career. But hope springs eternal with each new season and on Tuesday the 29-year-old center fielder sent a 1-0 Ronel Blanco offering over the left-field fence for his first homer of spring training.

Maybe this is the year he puts it all together.

“Nice swing there,” Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the 8-5 loss to the Astros in front of 3,017 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in Florida. “When he’s short to the ball, when he’s swinging at strikes, when he sticks to his approach and his plan, the talent is there. The impact is there. So again, good step. And I know he’s working hard so good to see him hit one out today.”

Despite consistent ugly slash lines (.187/.255/.366 in 2024 with Tampa Bay), Siri has always shown pop, hitting 18 homers in 448 plate appearances a year ago and 25 in 2023. His 4.6 career HR% is higher than Francisco Lindor‘s (4.1 percent).

Siri, who went 1-for-2 with a walk, was acquired from the Rays in a trade for pitcher Eric Orze in November. He figures to split time with Tyrone Taylor in center field, much like Harrison Bader did last season. While Taylor has been more productive at the plate in his career (.734 career OPS vs. Siri’s .674) Siri is an elite defensive center fielder with the highlights to go with it.

Here he robs Gunnar Henderson of a home run last season, here he takes an extra-base hit away from Robinson Cano in Dominican Winter League action in January and this doesn’t showcase his defense but here he steals third and scores on a wild play that is worth your time.

Per Statcast, Siri’s fielding range was in the 99th percentile in 2024 (he posted 15 outs above average, fifth in MLB), his arm strength was in the 97th percentile and his sprint speed was in the 99th percentile (29.9 feet per second), which would make him the fastest Met on the roster (Luisangel Acuña, 29.5 fps, is a tick behind).

“Siri, he can electrify everybody that watches him play,” Rays president of baseball operations Eric Neander told MLB.com in November. “He can electrify the audience by completing plays that few, if any, can. But it is certainly a boom-or-bust type of profile.”

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