I think this is a good write up about what may be holding Baty back, at least from an observer standpoint. I’m not sure if I agree with it, but I do agree with the idea that NY might be daunting. I never got that vibe from Baty though, in the respect that he might not be able to handle it. Remember, Vientos (one of the “baby mets”) didn’t have the hottest of starts. I predicted in Reddit last year that I had a good feeling he was due. And he was - he had the swagger and personality to succeed here. Historically, we’ve always gravitated towards the hard working gritty quiet types. Like Edgardo Alfonzo or even a Jeff McNeil. Never the best players, but good players nonetheless.
Flushing has streets lined with the bodies of players who tried to make it big in MLB. Notice, the same pressures don’t come for someone like Aaron Judge in the Bronx. The Yankees don’t allow for the big name contracts to have “an adjustment year” to NY, even though their goal
Is to win a championship every year. Adjustment years are acceptable in Flushing. Because we’ve seen it happen. But why is it acceptable? My suspicion is probably what you’re getting at, not just the fans but the overall pressure it is to play on the Mets, not just NY specifically. They are perennially seen as underdogs. They haven’t won in a long time. Fans boo sometimes. Players need to get a grip and if they want applause for effort, they can play in Cincinnati. Because we will also celebrate you and take you in as our own.
However, I don’t think I’ve seen a lot of hostility towards Baty, rather I’ve seen fans give him more of a chance while he works on his stuff in the minors. Like you, I saw he seemed outmatched and a touch slower with ML pitching. Sooooo…. What’s being done with that? Is he not listening to coaching? Or is he just not cut out for it? My theory is that this spring should maybe get him another chance with the club especially taking his licks at 2B. Maybe with some confidence, his fortunes will change.
I will agree with Taryn as I don’t know that the pressures and bright lights of NYC have held Baty back. Yes, they affected players openly, Ed Whitson and Sonny Gray come to mind, but these are players that signed a free agent contract and this had the attention of the press attached to them. Baty never knew such pressures as he was a kid trying to succeed hitting at the bottom of his team’s lineup. His difficulties came from lifting the ball as his ground ball rate was in the high 50’s percentage.
I don’t think a change of scenery will make Baty hit MLB pitching but I do think at 25, with Acuna on the roster and Mauricio waiting in the wings, this will be his last chance to show he can hit. I also don’t think he suffers from the NYC curse that has afflicted other players. Hoping he hits the ground running because without Alvarez in the lineup, the Mets need better production out of the back end of the lineup.
Baty has an opportunity to establish himself because the injury to McNeil. A 700 OPS for him would not unseat McNeil at second base when he gets back. McNeil has averaged a 702 OPS for the last two years and is a better defensive player than Baty. Baty might have a chance at DH competing with Winker but he has to produce better then Winker. Winker was signed as a temporary fix at DH.
Very good point Metsense. Winker’s OPS the last three years is .700, and that was raised by a .764 OPS last year of which the Nationals part was .793 and the Mets part was .689. I think he is low hanging fruit.
For the most part, I think the "can't play in NYC" is a bunch of hot air.
There are a few MLB players who can successfully skip Triple-A but Baty was clearly not one of them. Now that he's gotten 200-plus consecutive PA in Triple-A, it's sink or swim time in the majors for Baty - as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully he take the chance and runs with it.
I think this is a good write up about what may be holding Baty back, at least from an observer standpoint. I’m not sure if I agree with it, but I do agree with the idea that NY might be daunting. I never got that vibe from Baty though, in the respect that he might not be able to handle it. Remember, Vientos (one of the “baby mets”) didn’t have the hottest of starts. I predicted in Reddit last year that I had a good feeling he was due. And he was - he had the swagger and personality to succeed here. Historically, we’ve always gravitated towards the hard working gritty quiet types. Like Edgardo Alfonzo or even a Jeff McNeil. Never the best players, but good players nonetheless.
Flushing has streets lined with the bodies of players who tried to make it big in MLB. Notice, the same pressures don’t come for someone like Aaron Judge in the Bronx. The Yankees don’t allow for the big name contracts to have “an adjustment year” to NY, even though their goal
Is to win a championship every year. Adjustment years are acceptable in Flushing. Because we’ve seen it happen. But why is it acceptable? My suspicion is probably what you’re getting at, not just the fans but the overall pressure it is to play on the Mets, not just NY specifically. They are perennially seen as underdogs. They haven’t won in a long time. Fans boo sometimes. Players need to get a grip and if they want applause for effort, they can play in Cincinnati. Because we will also celebrate you and take you in as our own.
However, I don’t think I’ve seen a lot of hostility towards Baty, rather I’ve seen fans give him more of a chance while he works on his stuff in the minors. Like you, I saw he seemed outmatched and a touch slower with ML pitching. Sooooo…. What’s being done with that? Is he not listening to coaching? Or is he just not cut out for it? My theory is that this spring should maybe get him another chance with the club especially taking his licks at 2B. Maybe with some confidence, his fortunes will change.
I will agree with Taryn as I don’t know that the pressures and bright lights of NYC have held Baty back. Yes, they affected players openly, Ed Whitson and Sonny Gray come to mind, but these are players that signed a free agent contract and this had the attention of the press attached to them. Baty never knew such pressures as he was a kid trying to succeed hitting at the bottom of his team’s lineup. His difficulties came from lifting the ball as his ground ball rate was in the high 50’s percentage.
I don’t think a change of scenery will make Baty hit MLB pitching but I do think at 25, with Acuna on the roster and Mauricio waiting in the wings, this will be his last chance to show he can hit. I also don’t think he suffers from the NYC curse that has afflicted other players. Hoping he hits the ground running because without Alvarez in the lineup, the Mets need better production out of the back end of the lineup.
Baty has an opportunity to establish himself because the injury to McNeil. A 700 OPS for him would not unseat McNeil at second base when he gets back. McNeil has averaged a 702 OPS for the last two years and is a better defensive player than Baty. Baty might have a chance at DH competing with Winker but he has to produce better then Winker. Winker was signed as a temporary fix at DH.
Very good point Metsense. Winker’s OPS the last three years is .700, and that was raised by a .764 OPS last year of which the Nationals part was .793 and the Mets part was .689. I think he is low hanging fruit.
For the most part, I think the "can't play in NYC" is a bunch of hot air.
There are a few MLB players who can successfully skip Triple-A but Baty was clearly not one of them. Now that he's gotten 200-plus consecutive PA in Triple-A, it's sink or swim time in the majors for Baty - as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully he take the chance and runs with it.