Hayden Craig Senger (born April 3, 1997) is an American professional baseball catcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2025.
Amateur career
Senger graduated from Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, Ohio, in 2015. In his high school baseball career, Senger played 110 games, recorded 108 hits, 75 RBI, four home runs, and a .352 batting average. He attended Miami University and played college baseball for the Miami RedHawks from 2016 to 2018. During the 2018 season Senger hit for a .344 batting average and made only one error, leading to First-Team All-MAC and All-Defensive Team selections.
Professional career
The New York Mets drafted Senger in the 24th round, with the 710th overall selection, of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He spent his first professional season with the rookie-level Kingsport Mets and Low-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Senger spent the 2019 campaign with the Single-A Columbia Fireflies, playing in 90 games and slashing .230/.324/.345 with four home runs and 36 RBI. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senger returned to action in 2021 with Brooklyn and the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies, playing in 61 total games and batting .263/.341/.429 with five home runs and 14 RBI. He made 83 total appearances in 2022 with Binghamton and the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, slashing .240/.309/.358 with five home runs, 31 RBI, and three stolen bases.
Senger returned to Binghamton for the 2023 campaign, playing in 81 total contests and batting .188/.307/.295 with five home runs, 26 RBI, and three stolen bases. He split the 2024 season between Syracuse, Binghamton, and the Single-A St. Lucie Mets. In 55 appearances for the three affiliates, Senger hit .234/.302/.363 with three home runs and 29 RBI.
Senger made the Mets' Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. He made his MLB debut against the Houston Astros as a late-game substitute at catcher, and struck out in his only at bat. On April 2, 2025, in a game against the Miami Marlins, Senger recorded his first major league hit, which was a double straight into the outfield. He went 1-for-2 that game, and the Mets ultimately ended up winning 6–5 in 11 innings at LoanDepot Park. On April 24, Senger was optioned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets after Jeff McNeil and Francisco Álvarez were activated from the injured list.
Personal life
Senger's wife, Ryann, works as a physician's assistant. Starting in 2023, Senger worked at a Whole Foods Market near Nashville during the MLB offseason.