The New York Mets optioned third baseman Brett Baty to Triple A, the team announced Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Baty was the No. 2 prospect in the Mets organization heading into the season, per The Athletic’s Keith Law.
- He was called up in mid-April and has been New York’s everyday third baseman since.
- The 23-year-old is batting .216 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 311 plate appearances. He has gone hitless since Aug. 1, striking out eight times in the six games since the Mets officially became sellers at the trade deadline.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What has gone wrong for Baty this season?
Baty has shown only snippets of the talent that made him one of the game’s best prospects entering the season. He hasn’t been able to get to his raw power because he’s been hitting the ball on the ground too much, and his defense, while improved, is still subpar for the majors. There have been brief times when it has looked like he’s breaking out, but he hasn’t been able to sustain any of those streaks.
Since May 3, he’s hit under .200 with five home runs and an OPS of just .572. — Britton
Why now?
It is a bit ironic that Baty’s demotion is happening now, when the Mets have given up entirely on the 2023 season and are openly embracing major-league development as their chief goal the rest of the way. Asked last week what he wanted to see from the 2023 team, general manager Billy Eppler mentioned Baty before anyone else.
But Baty’s struggles plumbed deep enough for the Mets to think he required a physical and mental reset at Syracuse. He went hitless and the Mets went winless on their six-game road trip to start August.
The Mets hope Baty takes a few days to gather himself and then finds his form in the International League’s more offensively friendly environment. Buck Showalter didn’t put a timeline on it, but the plan is for Baty to be back in the majors this season. — Britton
Who fills in?
This is one reason Baty wasn’t sent down earlier. New York traded away Eduardo Escobar in June — a month before the rest of its sell-off — and utilityman Luis Guillorme is on the IL with a bad calf strain. Fellow youngster Mark Vientos should see more time at third base, but he’s more raw defensively than Baty.
Fans have been clamoring for Ronny Mauricio to get the call from Syracuse, but Mauricio’s offense has dipped: He’s hitting .227 with a .286 on-base percentage and .672 OPS since the start of June. He also hasn’t played third base this season, with the Mets testing the shortstop at second base and left field instead.
On Monday at least, veteran Danny Mendick was at third base and Vientos at DH. — Britton
Backstory
After missing the Opening Day roster, Baty dealt with right thumb inflammation to start the season — the same thumb he had surgery on last season to repair a torn ligament.
He made his MLB debut last August and hit .184 with a .244 on-base percentage and slugged .342 during his stint in the majors last season. He batted .400 with 15 RBIs in nine games with Triple-A Syracuse before being called up.
Required reading
(Photo: Erik Williams / USA Today)
