Kyren Paris Sends Message to Angels After Leaving Organization

The 25-year-old second baseman was claimed by the Mets on Oct. 29.

Angels infielder Kyren Paris (19) looks on at the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 5, 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Second baseman Kyren Paris saw his time with the Angels organization come to an unceremonious end last month, but his memories of the last seven years remain overwhelmingly fond.

Paris quietly joined the New York Mets on Oct. 29, when he was claimed off waivers. Four days later, he was designated for assignment but went unclaimed. He was outrighted to the Mets' Triple-A affiliate on Nov. 9.

Saturday, Paris reflected on his time with the Angels in a heartfelt post to his Instagram account.

"Thank you to the Angels organization for blessing me with the opportunity to live out my childhood dream over the last seven seasons," Paris wrote. "Thank you to all of the teammates, coaches, and trainers that I’ve built relationships with along the way. I’ve met some amazing people and made memories that I’ll cherish forever.

"Thank you to the fans for the endless love and support. I’m excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to see what God has in store for me!"

Why the Angels waived Kyren Paris

Despite ample chances to carve out a major-league role either at second base or in the outfield, Paris failed to stick in Anaheim. This season, he played only eight games at the MLB level. He went 0 for 15 with eight strikeouts.

The Angels' second-round pick (55th overall) in the 2019 MLB draft, Paris played only 88 big league games from 2023-26. He slashed .147/.238/.272 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs and struck out 101 times in 232 at-bats.

Paris was ranked as the Angels' No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2020. He appeared to tap into his potential in 2025, when he was hitting .400 after his first 13 games of the season, with five home runs and eight RBIs in 35 at-bats.

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

Paris split his time between the infield and outfield his final two seasons in Anaheim. His defensive versatility should help him carve out a role within the Mets organization — as long as he's able to harness his potential at the plate.

Two of Paris' former Angels teammates responded with words of encouragement to his Instagram post.

"Gonna miss you big dawg," wrote Christian Moore, "go be great!!!"

"My man! 💪❤️" wrote Jo Adell.