Brett Baty Won the Opening Weekend of Triple-A

The 23-year-old third baseman looks like a star in the making

The Brett Baty story is a good one. Taken 12th overall in 2019, Baty’s amateur stock was hurt for being an “older” prospect coming out of high school. After missing a full season worth of development due to the pandemic, Baty broke out in 2021 and was considered a universal top-40 prospect entering the following season.

Baty hit .292/.382/.473 with average plate discipline skills as a 21-year-old in 2021. He hit the ball hard, but too often that contact came on the ground. He had a 51.6 GB% at High-A and a 61.2% rate at Double-A. Neither mark was ideal. Written up as disciplined hitter with natural feel for barreling, Baty projected to wind up as a strong AVG/OBP contributor, but the homer upside was in question.

Then in 2022 at the same Double-A level where he posted an unacceptable grounder rate the year prior, Baty cut it to a 42.6 GB%. His strikeout and walk rates remained nearly the same, but being able to consistently lift the ball unlocked his bat. In 394 PAs he hit .312/.406/.544 with 19 homers - good for a 160 wRC+. The Mets promoted him to Triple-A where he lasted a week before getting the call to Queens, homering in his first ever game.

The next 6 months were a whirlwind for Baty, who suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb just two weeks after the promotion, ending his season and his time with the Mets. He then watched the club pursue Carlos Correa as a third baseman this winter, potentially altering the course of his career and giving him a new defensive home.

The Correa deal fell through, and it could wind up being a blessing in disguise for the Mets’ long-term answer at the hot corner. Even after back-to-back years excelling at the plate (only Gunnar Henderson had a higher wRC+ among minor league 3B in ‘22), Baty wasn’t exactly considered a polished third baseman. To his credit, he worked on it:

Ahead of what could be a critical 2023 season, Baty sought help to improve defensively at third base. He turned to a former star shortstop in [Troy] Tulowitzki, who essentially gave Baty a no-nonsense master class on how to be a pro. It was exactly what he wanted.

Let’s check in how that offseason work paid off during the opening weekend of Triple-A action:

MLB Pipeline @MLBPipeline

Bases loaded, one out. Brett Baty to the rescue for the @SyracuseMets! Watch this game LIVE: atmlb.com/3NzZ69Q

There was also this:

Michael Mayer @mikemayer22

Brett Baty also making plays on defense.

Highlights are nice, of course, but a big league club isn’t going to be swayed by them. The Mets want to see Baty consistently make the routine plays, while adding this sort of range into his skill set. They also want to see him continue to hit. Very well then…

Michael Mayer @mikemayer22

Brett Baty has homered.

Later in the game:

Syracuse Mets @SyracuseMets

Brett Baty just hit an opposite-field grand slam that left the bat at over 111 miles per hour. That's it. That's the tweet.

I just threw a lot of video clips at you, but I felt it was important to include all four of them. I was digesting a ton of information this weekend, mostly big league action, and yet my timeline kept hitting me with Baty highlights. He became impossible to ignore, as did his exit velocities from Friday:

And Saturday:

What was most impressive about each of his Saturday homers is they came against lefties — including one off Red Sox southpaw Brandon Walter, who is a name to remember for dynasty leagues.

Furthermore, neither homer was pulled. One went to dead center and the other was an opposite field shot. These are signs of a complete hitter.

Baty didn’t make the Mets’ Opening Day roster as the team is currently rolling with veteran Eduardo Escobar at the hot corner, but this is obviously becoming of a situation of “when” not “if” for Baty usurping him. New York has a lot of veteran depth so it was defensible, albeit disappointing, that he was optioned to end spring training.

They’re also an organization who wants to win. And they want to win now. If Baty as the everyday starter at third base gives them the best chance to do so, then I think they could make a switch sometime this month.

Ultimately, Brett Baty’s MLB ceiling is still being determined, and we’ll continue having discussions over what it is. What now looks clear, however, is that he’s ready for that conversation to continue taking place while he’s in the majors.