Angels Lose 24-Year-Old Utility Player to Mets

The 2019 second-round draft pick played only eight MLB games in 2026

Angels left fielder Taylor Ward (3) center fielder Kyren Paris (19) and right fielder Jo Adell (7) following the top of the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Angel Stadium on May 24, 2025. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kyren Paris, who spent eight seasons in the Angels organization after he was chosen in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, is no longer an Angel.

The Mets claimed the 24-year-old utility player off waivers and designated outfielder Cristian Pache for assignment on Thursday.

The Angels have 37 players on their 40-man roster.

Paris played only eight major league games in 2026, and went 0 for 15 with eight strikeouts. It was a step backwards for a player who showed flashes of his potential early in the 2025 season, but never came close to fulfilling his promise.

Paris was hitting .400 after his first 13 games of the 2025 season, collecting five home runs and eight RBIs in his first 35 at-bats. What looked like a breakout season quickly fizzled from there, however.

By May 25, Paris was slashing .190/.266/.381. He was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake and only played in one big league game the remainder of the season.

In 88 games with the Angels from 2023-26, Paris slashed .147/.238/.272 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs. He struck out 101 times in 232 at-bats, a ratio that will have to fall in order for him to hold down a 40-man roster spot in Queens.

Paris was ranked as the Angels' No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2020. But because the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the minor league season that year, Paris didn't get a full professional season under his belt until 2021.

A strong showing at Double-A in 2022 (.359/.510/.641) vaulted Paris up to No. 4 on the Angels' internal prospect rankings, per Pipeline, and earned him a major-league call-up in 2023.

Besides his high swing-and-miss rate at the plate, Paris never established himself as a plus defender at any one position — despite coming up as a second baseman, and having few prospects or veterans standing in his way at the position.

Paris filled in for Mike Trout in center field in 2025 when the former American League Most Valuable Player was trying to lighten his physical workload. That appeared to be a more comfortable fit for him than the infield; Paris didn't set foot on the infield in 2026.

Yet even in the outfield, Paris was not able to take at-bats from glove-first outfielders like Bryce Teodosio or Jose Siri in 2026. Now, he'll get a fresh start to establish himself on both sides of the ball in New York.