Can Brett Baty finally have a breakout year?
With the recent news that the Mets plan to pivot away from Pete Alonso playing first base for the team in 2025, paired with the expectation that Mark Vientos is the natural backfill for Alonso’s former position, the vacancy at third base has become the new focus. The Mets have a variety of players already on the team who could fill the position in Luisangel Acuña, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio. Other options exist in the free-agent and trade markets, including the likes of Nolan Arenado, Alex Bregman and fan favorite Jose Iglesias. But if recent history tells us anything, it’s that the Mets still believe Baty can be the third baseman of the future.
Looking back to the start of the 2024 season, third base was an open competition between Baty and Vientos. Baty won the position out of spring training and showed flashes of great defense during April and May. The general feeling of Mets fans was that he would eventually find his stroke and we’d see him grow into a staple of the corner infield for years to come. Unfortunately for Baty, the Mets struggled mightily through the end of May, sitting at 24-33, and were in need of an offensive spark. That spark came in the form of Vientos and Iglesias at the expense of Baty and, to some extent, Jeff McNeil.
Vientos quieted those who doubted his defensive ability by not being a complete liability on defense at third base during the regular season. He was also a much better hitter than Baty had been, making Baty an afterthought for the remainder of the season. Baty went down to Syracuse where, among other things, he was tasked with learning second base. A curious assignment, considering the Mets already have a logjam there with Acuna, McNeil and top prospect Jett Williams all primarily playing second base.
Vientos, to his credit, had worked hard to improve his defense during the offseason, but his defensive flaws were on full display during the Mets’ postseason run, and every Mets fan could see that defensive stability at the hot corner was needed. This concern was regularly confirmed by Mets manager Carlos Mendoza throughout the Mets’ postseason run, as Vientos was pulled in favor of Iglesias as a defensive replacement in multiple games.
It is an understatement to say Baty just hasn’t figured out how to hit at the Major League level. During the 2024 campaign Baty looked lost offensively, posting a .229/.306/.327 for a significantly below league average .633 OPS. Actually, this was an improvement from his 2023 campaign where he posted an abysmal .212/.275/.323 for a .598 OPS. This stands in stark contrast to his numbers down in AAA where in 2023 he had an OPS of 1.013 in 26 games. We have seen the flashes of power in his bat, but bringing that consistently to the Major League level has eluded him.
David Stearns has said repeatedly that he believes it is important to give young players who do well in the Minor Leagues opportunities to contribute to the Major League team. We also know the premium that Stearns puts on players who have the versatility to play multiple positions. On paper, Baty fits this mold perfectly, recording .252 BA with 16 homers and an .853 OPS in 2024 for AAA Syracuse while learning to play second base well enough to be seriously considered as a 2B defensive option during the Mets’ 2024 playoff run. Stearns has gone on the record to say he believes Baty has the ability to contribute at the Major League level, and Baty not being traded after Vientos solidified himself at third base is a sign that Stearns wants to find a home for Baty on the 2025 team.
With recent reports indicating Mauricio will not be ready for the start of spring training, the job is currently Baty’s to lose. While he has been given ample opportunity to prove himself at the Major League level to date, it’s important to remember that those opportunities have come when he was very much considered a young and developing player. Now at 25 years old, the time for him has come to prove he can be what the Mets thought he could be when they drafted him in 12th overall in the 2019 MLB draft. If 2025 can be Baty’s breakout campaign, the Mets may have the opportunity to make another deep postseason run with the youngest core group of players this team has seen in a decade.
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Well done, Ryan and welcome to the Three-Six-Oh family.
I, for one, fully expect Alonso to return to the Mets until or unless the ink is dry on a new deal elsewhere and frankly, I want no part of Baty-Vientos on opposite corners — I think that’s giving up & accepting a 3rd place divisional finish and another all-out battle for a Wild Card spot. I don’t want to waste a single minute of Soto’s 15 years here.
Welcome Ryan and a nice piece today on Baty. He certainly hit while down at AAA where he hit .252 with an OPS of .854 with 16 HR in 62 games and 269 plate appearances. Let’s remember that prior to last year he’d only played in 32 games at the AAA level. This is a big chance for him this spring to make 3B his own. Mauricio has more potential and in 2023 over 116 games he hit .292 with an OPS of .852 with 23 HR and 71 RBI. This is the production we need from the corner position. Arenado would be good on defense and his hitting would likely match anyone they would put out there but he’s owed a ton of money and while he’s not the player he once was, he’d be a solid addition to the team. But the Cards will have to pitch in $10 million a year if they want to get rid of the three years left on his contract.
Would the Mets be better off leaving Vientos at 3B and trying Baty and Mauricio at 1B? None of them are first baseman and Vientos does have a rifle for an arm at third. He made the routine plays but at times did not instinctively know where to throw the ball. A pro already knows where the ball has to go before it is hit to them. I’m all for signing Iggy for a one year at $6 million because then there is no rush to bring up Acuña or Mauricio. He also can back up at three infield positions. Still holding out hope that Cohen intercedes, gives Alonso a reality check and makes a deal to bring him back. Otherwise I’ll need to take back the Alonso shirts I gave to my grandsons. But don’t worry, already have Soto shirts for them (and me). LGM!