Brett Baty has struggled to stay in the MLB due to his inconsistent performance at the plate. Given his track record as a big league hitter, it’s difficult to blame former Atlanta Braves catcher and current FOX broadcaster A.J. Pierzynski for assuming Baty would be an easy out for Chicago Cubs rookie Cade Horton.
After a first-pitch ball, Horton evened the score by getting Baty to chase a slider out of the strike zone. Pierzynski claimed that by throwing two more breaking pitches, he could strike out Baty. Instead, Baty launched a breaking ball over the wall in right-center field, cutting the New York Mets’ 4-0 deficit to 4-3.
“If he can throw two more breaking balls to Baty…there’s a good chance he’s gonna punch him out,” Pierzynski said.
It’s safe to say he is going to want this one back.
Brett Baty’s huge home run made A.J. Pierzynski look foolish
Again, it is easy to understand why Pierzynski held this opinion. Baty hasn’t done much in his MLB career; Horton’s slider is his best pitch, and he had only one hit in 18 at-bats against breaking pitches this season, with four strikeouts, according to Baseball Savant. On paper, this was not a favorable matchup for Baty. Nonetheless, he received a pitch and hit it perfectly.
Baty has had his struggles, but most hitters can capitalize on pitches to hit, as Baty recently did. With this home run, Baty has now gone deep in consecutive games, giving Mets fans hope that he has finally discovered something that works.
Whether Baty’s newfound power stroke is consistent enough to keep him in the MLB remains to be seen, but that one big swing got the team back in the game on Saturday. If they win, Mets fans can thank a player they vehemently disliked for clearly jinxing one of the sport’s heroes.
