From stocking shelves at Whole Foods to potential Mets Opening Day roster spot: Hayden Senger's incredible journey

Having been drafted by the New York Mets in 2018, Hayden Senger has spent almost a decade playing for the organization's various minor league affiliates. With yearly salaries for minor leaguers being a fraction of their big league counterparts, Senger has had to maintain a second job to make sure he can manage his expenses.

For the past two years, Senger has worked at a Whole Foods outlet during the offseason months, doing plenty of heavy lifting as he stacks items on the shelves which, by Senger's own admission, has helped him gain plenty of "functional strength." Working a 'regular job' during the winter months was in fact quite common amongst even more established big leaguers until a few years ago, before salaries increased significantly.

During a regular work day, Senger would typically report for duty at 5 AM, working tirelessly for seven hours before heading to the gym or batting cage to train. Despite not getting a chance to take to the field in the majors so far, Hayden Senger has showed an admirable level of dedication to his craft.

That dedication may finally be about to pay off, as a long-term injury to catcher Francisco Alvarez has opened the door to a potential major league promotion. While other catchers are also vying for the roster spot, few can match the defensive expertise Hayden Senger brings. His extensive time within the Mets' organization has given him remarkable knowledge of how each member of the Mets' pitching staff likes to operate.

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Despite getting a significant raise, 'superstition' may bring Hayden Senger back to work from time to time

Currently making around $36,000 a year as a minor leaguer, a potential inclusion in the Mets' major league roster will be quite life-changing for Hayden Senger. The minimum salary for any big league player is $760,000, amounting to about $4,400 a day, allowing Senger to make more than his current yearly salary in a little more than a week.

Though that would definitely take care of any expenses that Senger and his family may have, one might still be able to spot Senger back at work from time to time.

"I’m pretty superstitious. I told my boss it’s possible I come back if I make it, but I didn’t make any promises. So we’ll have to see about that," Hayden Senger told Hayden DiComo of MLB.com.

MLB: FEB 26 Spring Training Mets at Marlins - Source: Getty

In an era where organizations, especially those as free-spending as the Mets, often opt to fill lineup gaps with proven big leaguers, Hayden Senger’s potential rise through the ranks serves as an inspiring example for other players who find themselves in similar situations.