It didn’t take a formal announcement for New York Mets fans to snoop through the transaction page and discover what wasn’t much of a surprise. Brett Baty will be returning to the minors. Despite a home run off Zack Wheeler in Wednesday’s game, his.204/.246/.352 slash line to start the season was enough for the Mets to drop him from the roster when Jeff McNeil returned.
Hayden Senger will accompany him on the ride to Syracuse, along with Francisco Alvarez, who is also coming off the IL. Jose Azocar will be able to stay on the MLB roster for a little longer, thanks in part to his recent success at the plate, but also because the Mets have a philosophy in place for their young players who have yet to make a case to stay.
The Mets would rather Brett Baty continue to play a lot in the minors than to sit and watch
Baty has nothing left to accomplish or prove in Triple-A. This year was all about doing it at the Major League Baseball level. His outstanding spring training earned him an early guaranteed opening day roster spot. Almost a month into the MLB season, Luisangel Acuna has been the clear winner in their ongoing battle, despite the team’s apparent eagerness to find an alternative.
Baty has had a good week, but he hasn’t shown enough improvement. The home run off Wheeler was his first of the season. His defense at second base was poor. His approach at the plate has not been particularly noteworthy. He didn’t sketch his first walk until last Friday.
Strikeouts have been common as well. With a strikeout rate of 32.8%, he leaves the majors with a new career low. To his credit, Baty was hitting the ball hard, with a 45.7% hard-hit percentage (a new high) and an exit velocity of 90.5 mph, second only to his brief 42-plate appearance campaign in 2022.
The lack of contact, as well as his inability to hit the ball out of the infield, contributed to his low numbers. A 45.7% ground ball percentage is a new high for him, but he appears to have traded those weak grounders for more strikeouts.
The Mets never intended to have Acuna and Baty share a roster in which one would sit frequently. With Acuna playing so well and being far more useful than just the basics, the decision was simple.
Azocar may not be extremely useful to the Mets, but with speed and the ability to give Brandon Nimmo some time off while also being a center field candidate, it’s a more than understandable call for the Mets to have Baty reacquainted with Syracuse with the goal of doing nothing but taking it personally and rising to the occasion if he gets another chance. Another trip to left field couldn’t hurt.
