Wednesday catch-all thread (5/28/25)
Please use this thread all week to discuss any Mets-specific topic you wish.
Since Brett Baty returned to the majors, he has a 3.6 BB% and a 21.4 K%. If you heard those numbers in a vacuum, you’d think a return to the minors would be imminent. But everything else has been really good. Baty is slashing .296/.321/.593 in 56 PA. And it’s not like the hits are falling in at some unsustainable rate, as he has a .297 BABIP in this span. Six of his 16 hits have gone for extra-bases, including five home runs.
We can ask how likely it is that Baty will continue this power surge. But it’s not like he’s bereft of power. Baty hit 19 HR and 22 2B in 394 PA in Double-A in 2022, posted 14 XBH in 121 PA in Triple-A in 2023 and 16 HR and 10 2B in 269 PA at Syracuse last year.
The power he’s displayed in 2025 in the majors - 11 XBH in 114 PA - is much more in line with what he’s done previously in the minors. The next step is for Baty to duplicate his minor league walk rates in the majors. He posted a double-digit BB% in each stop up the ladder.
It took me by surprise that Carlos Mendoza had Baty hitting fifth Tuesday night. Yet a high-power, low-OBP player in the fifth spot is not out of line with the optimal lineup. The only concern is that if Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto hit second and third in the order, you have three lefty batters in four spots, inviting the other team to use its lefty specialist late in the game. However, Nimmo and Soto more than hold their own against lefties. Plus teams were bringing in LHP to fact those two more often than not in close games.
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Just a reminder that Wednesday’s game has been moved to a 1:10 start because of expected rain later in the day. Join us in the Game Chatter if you’re able.
I've been extremely happy with Baty's resurgence as he was at one time my absolute favorite prospect. I'm gaining optimism on this being reality but know that Baty is always going to be a player with hot and cold streaks. For me to buy MLB success I need to see him get cold in the majors and recover without demotion.
Thankfully it's a long season and we get to agonize over the Mets for several months. Nice to see Baty making the most of this opportunity and Vientos' the long ball today reminds us of what he can do. He needs to keep hitting. Have no issue putting a youngster in at DH versus always trying to find playing time for semi-washed up players. The DH should be a prime spot for a good hitter and it would not be absurd to expect 85-90 RBI from that spot. You won't get that from Winker and Marte, but might form Baty/Vientos or switch hitter Ronnie Mauricio.
Today's open thread trivia fact brings us to this day in 1969 when the Mets started a team-best 11-game winnings streak by beating the Padres. They were 19-23 this day on their way to a 100 win season and their first championship. That year cemented by quest to root for the underdog!