When New York Mets young infielder Brett Baty arrived at spring training, few expected him to end up at second base. After all, the former top prospect had played third base his entire career—his comfort zone, his home turf.
But baseball has a way of tossing even the best-laid plans into the wind. With Jeff McNeil sidelined by an oblique strain, the Mets needed a replacement at the keystone, and Baty, thanks to a stellar spring, earned the job.
The Early Struggles of a Bold Experiment
The idea seemed promising: take Baty’s hot bat from the Grapefruit League and his .889 OPS minor league dominance, and plug it into the big league lineup. Easy on paper, messy in real life.
Once the regular season lights came on, Baty’s bat dimmed. His OPS hovered in the .600s for most of his MLB experience and dropped further during the first weeks of the season. Fans were restless. Social media turned sour. To some, it looked like the same old story: another top prospect stumbling under the weight of expectations.
A Flicker of Fire, Just in Time?
But baseball has a funny way of offering second chances just when they’re least expected. Lately, Baty’s bat has shown signs of life. Not just a lucky bloop here and there—he’s squaring the ball up with authority.
Mets analyst Mike Mayer pointed out that Baty has five batted balls over 100 mph during his current hit streak. That kind of contact speaks louder than words.
He’s riding a modest, but encouraging stretch: four straight games with a hit, two of them multi-hit affairs. Over his last seven games, he’s slashing .318/.318/.455, with a double, a triple, and two runs driven in.
Brett Baty, last seven games:
.318/.318/.455/, double, triple, 2 RBI
Luisangel Acuña, last seven games:
.381/.458/.476, two doubles, RBI#Mets
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) April 18, 2025
He’s not drawing walks, but he’s driving the ball—a fair tradeoff for now.
Crunch Time for a Crowded Infield
Of course, the timing might be less than ideal. Luisangel Acuña is heating up as well, and Jeff McNeil is eyeing a return. The infield is about to get crowded. So where does that leave Baty?
It’s the kind of dilemma teams actually like to have: too many players who are starting to perform. Baty’s overall .511 OPS still screams “work in progress,” but that’s a significant step up from the depths he was in just days ago.
Whether his resurgence earns him a long-term MLB role when McNeil returns is still up in the air. But at the very least, Baty has reminded the Mets—and their fans—that in baseball, things can change in a hurry.