'It's All Worth It': The Hayden Senger Story

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After seven long years in the minors, 402 games and 1,549 plate appearances, former Miami University catcher Hayden Senger officially made his MLB debut on March 27, 2025 in the New York Mets' Opening Day game.

"I thought of every baseball moment I had in my life and everything that brought me to that point," Senger said. "It was an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness. Everything I did to get there was worth it."

A few days later, the Liberty Township, Ohio native notched his first big-league hit against the Marlins in his third career at-bat, one day shy of his 28th birthday. Senger ripped a fifth-inning double into right-center field, and the smile on his face was evident afterwards. He described the moment as 'freeing.'

"It was almost like a weight was lifted off my shoulders," Senger said. "After that, you feel weightless, and now you just go play baseball."

Having reached the goal that millions of baseball players growing up can only dream of, Senger reflected on how far he had come. Coming out of high school, Senger's only Division I offer was from the RedHawks, and he credited Miami Baseball for his success and development as a player.

Even though Senger initially 'didn't think baseball was in the cards for the future' after hitting .172 as a sophomore in college, the Miami coaches continued to believe in their young catcher and his big-league potential, both behind the plate and in the batter's box. They specifically focused on helping him with the mental side of hitting. "That was what I struggled with initially," Senger admitted. Hayden Senger

The result? Senger literally doubled his batting average the following season, skyrocketing to a team-best .344 mark.

He was named First-Team All-MAC in 2018, posting a .511 slugging percentage with 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored and a team-high 17 doubles. Senger was recognized on the conference's All-Defensive Team in the same year, only making one error all season.

After his impressive junior season, the New York Mets picked Senger in the 24th round, which started his long, winding climb to the majors, including stops everywhere from Binghamton, N.Y. to Columbia, S.C.

"When I got drafted, I didn't really understand the minors at all. I thought it was just A, Double-A and Triple-A," Senger said. "In reality, there's rookie ball, advanced rookie ball, Low-A, High-A, Double-A and then Triple-A. My first year, I got sent to Kingsport, Tenn. for advanced rookie ball, which was probably about seventh down on the totem pole from the big leagues and something I didn't even realize existed!"

Senger didn't sugarcoat his experience when describing the early stages of the minor leagues. "Those lower levels of the minors are a grind," he recalled. "You're staying in [motels] like Red Roof Inns, and you're not getting paid that much. I wasn't really expecting that."

The real test, Senger said, came a few levels up the ladder, however – where the day-to-day challenge was about growth and consistency, attempting to separate himself from the rest of the pack.

"I think the longest time I had in the minor leagues was my three or four years in Double-A, and that was the real grind for me," Senger said. "Trying to learn how to be a better baseball player in Double-A for that many years: That was definitely what changed me as a baseball player."

During his stint in Double-A, Senger even picked up a second job at a Whole Foods grocery store in the Nashville area to help make things work financially.

"Most people know the salary for minor leaguers is not very high, so you have to look at other options in the offseason," Senger explained. "I wanted to be home with my wife, so I applied for a job at Whole Foods, thinking the schedule might be tough, likely super early mornings and required weekend shifts. Whole Foods was really accommodating, giving me a 6 a.m. to noon shift Monday through Thursday and the option to pick up weekends."

Hayden Senger

Senger said that his Whole Foods experience was valuable and went beyond the paycheck, as it brought discipline to his routine and gave him something to do.

"Working at Whole Foods taught me that you can not be lazy in the offseason," Senger said. "In the past, I would focus only on baseball, but there was so much free time that it was easy to get stagnant. With the Whole Foods job, I'd work 6 a.m. to noon, then train from 1 to 4 p.m. It felt like having a full-time job, and it kept me active and moving."

Throughout Senger's time with the Mets organization, he's been able to reconnect with other former RedHawks as his baseball journey has unfolded.

"Funny enough, the Miami RedHawks ties run deep in the Mets organization," Senger said. "Grant Hartwig and I are on the same team again in Triple-A in Syracuse. Last year, one of our coaches was our former teammate Carlos Adrian Texidor. Having both those guys, you just get reminded that baseball is fun, and you're just going out and playing baseball with your friends! Me and Hartwig, we've been lucky enough to be doing that for a while."

Hartwig played at Miami from 2017-2021 and was signed by the Mets as an undrafted free agent after graduating, earning his first major-league call-up in 2023. His best college season came in 2021 where he boasted a 3.44 ERA, finishing the season with 82 strikeouts in 73.1 innings pitched. Texidor played at Miami for two years, earning MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. The Puerto Rican shortstop hit .219 with 22 RBIs, 28 runs scored and 13 stolen bases.

Hartwig and Senger will be living together this year as they both hope to break back into the majors during the season. After nearly a month with the big-league club to begin the 2025 campaign, Senger re-joined the Syracuse Mets last Thursday when New York's Francisco Alvarez returned from injury. However, Senger still remains on the MLB team's 40-man roster.

"He's grown a lot and now he knows he can play at this level," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the New York Daily News last week. Mendoza had also praised Senger's impressive play with the team –both offensively and defensively– as April unfolded, specifically highlighting the rookie's pitch-calling and preparation (via SNY): "He's playing really, really well. So proud of him," Mendoza said. "Worked really hard to get to this level, and here he is, getting an opportunity and taking advantage of it."

Hayden Senger Mets — *courtesy of New York Mets*

"Speaking for our entire program, we are all proud of Hayden for representing Miami in such a first-class way," said Miami Baseball head coach Brian Smiley. "His story shows current and future RedHawks that there is a clear path to the MLB running through Oxford, Ohio!"

No matter when Senger's next opportunity at Citi Field rolls around, whether in days, weeks, or months, he has already proven that he can make an impact in the big leagues as a defensive catcher. His journey up to this point is a testament to hard work, something he hopes will inspire future generations.

"I would just [tell them] that it's all worth it," Senger said. "Getting to live out this dream, knowing I worked really hard to get here, and that all the hard work pays off eventually."

"I feel like I'm right where I need to be."

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'It's All Worth It': The Hayden Senger Story

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