New York Mets infielder Brett Baty is on the bench for Tuesday's contest in Miami against the Marlins at loanDepot Park. Luisangel Acuna will make the start at the keystone and will hit eighth against right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Baty did not play on Opening Day last Thursday against a left-hander but then made three straight starts against righties, going 1-for-9 with a double and three strikeouts at second base. Acuna made the start at shortstop on Monday night with Francisco Lindor out for the birth of his son, but he'll slide back to second on Tuesday. On most days moving forward with Jeff McNeill (oblique) on the injured list to start the season, Baty will be on the strong side of a platoon at second for the Mets against right-handed pitching. Acuna, the younger brother of Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr., has just one hit and a stolen base in his first nine plate appearances in 2025 over four games.
New York Mets infielder Brett Baty is starting at second base and batting eighth on Friday against the Houston Astros and right-hander Hunter Brown at Daikin Park. In the Opening Day loss to the Astros, Luisangel Acuna made the start at the keystone against left-hander Framber Valdez. With Jeff McNeil (oblique) on the injured list to begin the year, Baty and Acuna are expected to be in a platoon at second, with Baty facing righties and Acuna facing lefties. Especially after slashing .353/.441/.745 with four home runs in 20 Grapefruit League games during spring training, Baty is an interesting post-hype prospect for the Mets in the strong side of a platoon at second. However, hitting out of the eight-hole isn't great for his DFS upside. Baty comes into this one with one hit in three career at-bats against Brown.
New York Mets infielder Brett Baty has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to the New York Daily News' Abbey Mastracco. The 25-year-old former top prospect made it a no-brainer move for the Mets to carry him on the big-league roster to open the year after he hit .353 (18-for-51) with four home runs, six doubles, a triple, 11 RBI and a stolen base in 20 Grapefruit League games. Mark Vientos is locked in at third base after his breakout season in 2024, but with Jeff McNeil (oblique) opening the season on the injured list, Baty is in line to be in the strong side of a platoon at second base with Luisangel Acuna. If Baty continues to hit well in the early going, the Mets could have a decision on their hands when McNeil is ready to return. So far, Baty has struggled offensively in 169 big-league games, slashing .215/.282/.325 with a .607 OPS, 15 homers and 55 RBI.
Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna Could Platoon At Second Base
It sounds like New York Mets infielders Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna will both make the Opening Day roster out of camp and platoon at second base until Jeff McNeil (oblique) is able to return. Given his experience and the fact that he hits from the left side, Baty figures to open the year on the strong side of a platoon at the keystone in Queens with Acuna. The 25-year-old has deserved playing time to open the season, as he's currently hitting .343 (12-for-35) with two home runs and three doubles in Grapefruit League action. The former 12th overall pick in 2019 has yet to find much success at the big-league level in three seasons, though, hitting .215/.282/.325 with 15 homers and 55 RBI in 169 games. Acuna, 23, has hit just .226 in spring training, although he did go 12-for-39 (.308) with three homers and six RBI in his first 14 big-league games in 2024.
New York Mets infielder Brett Baty is projected to open the year at second base while batting eighth, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Regular second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) is being shut down for seven to 10 days and is likely to open the year on the injured list, which could open the door for Baty to get regular playing time at the keystone in Queens. The 25-year-old started 27 games at second last year at Triple-A Syracuse, although he's never played the position in the big leagues. Another scenario would include both Baty and Luisangel Acuna splitting second base duties until McNeil is healed up. Baty, one of the team's former top prospects, hasn't panned out yet, although he did see some progress with a lowered strikeout rate in his limited playing time in 2024. When everyone is healthy in New York, Baty will find it hard to see the field regularly.
New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty has been taking ground balls in camp at shortstop, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. The skipper isn't ruling out Baty playing the position in exhibition games later in camp. "He's got the arm. It comes down to, can he get to the ball? Range and all that," Mendoza said. Baty's primary focus in spring training will be at third base and second base, though. The 25-year-old is slated to open the season as a utility infielder for the Mets, which makes sense that he's looking to increase his versatility around the infield to make himself more valuable in that role. He hasn't played anywhere besides third base in the big leagues, but he has played a little second and left field in the minors. Once one of the Mets' top prospects, Baty lost out on the third base gig in 2024 to Mark Vientos, and the re-signing of Pete Alonso didn't help Baty's cause this year.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty is drawing trade interest. Baty was drafted by the Mets with the 12th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. Baty made his major league debut in 2022 but has never been able to find his footing at the big league level as he holds an underwhelming career .215/.282/.325 line with just 15 home runs. However, in Triple-A, Baty has shown solid upside as he sits with an overall .272/.368/.531 with 26 long balls across 94 games. Given his young age, Baty is an intriguing option for rebuilding teams to target, as he has dropped in trade value, given his struggles in the majors. In addition, given Mark Vientos' emergence this past season, Baty may face an uphill battle to find consistent playing time in Queens in 2025. Fantasy managers in dynasty formats should continue to monitor Baty's status during the offseason, as he could be worth looking into if he finds a full-time role with a new club.
New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns isn't ruling out the possibility that third baseman Brett Baty will see action in the outfield moving forward. The Mets were impressed with how quickly Baty picked up second base in 2024 and could further add to his versatility by playing him in the outfield in 2025. The 24-year-old lost out on the starting gig at the hot corner this year to Mark Vientos, so he'll need to move around more next season if he wants to stick around in the big leagues. Baty did see some time in left field in the minors in 2024, so the outfield won't be completely foreign to him. The former 12th overall pick in 2019 made his MLB debut in 2022 and has so far disappointed in 169 games, slashing .215/.282/.325 with a .607 OPS, 15 homers and 55 RBI. He's likely heading for a platoon role with the Mets in 2025.
Jesse Winker Dealing With Back Injury; Brett Baty On Taxi Squad
New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (back) didn't play in the last four regular-season games and had his back taped up on Monday. If he's unavailable to play in the wild-card series this week against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, the Mets have an opening for a left-handed hitter. As such, third baseman Brett Baty is currently on the taxi squad and could be added to the playoff roster if Winker isn't included. It sounds as though the 31-year-old Winker won't be available against Milwaukee. It would mean more action for veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez against the Brewers, with Baty likely just filling a bench role for the Mets. After being acquired in a trade from the Washington Nationals at the deadline, Winker hit .243 (28-for-115) in New York with three homers, five doubles and 13 RBI in 44 games played.
New York Met third baseman Brett Baty (finger) is likely done for the rest of the 2024 season after breaking his left index finger while playing in the minors. Baty had a chance to be part of the team's September roster at the big-league level by the end of his week, but instead he's out four to six weeks with an injury he suffered on Sunday. It's highly disappointing for the 24-year-old left-handed hitter, who had a .997 OPS in his last 12 games for Triple-A Syracuse. Not that Baty would have cut into the playing time of Mark Vientos at third base in the Big Apple to close the 2024 season, but it's pretty much official that he won't be an option now for the Mets to close out the year. The former 12th overall pick in 2019 was sent to Syracuse earlier this year after hitting just .229/.306/.327 with 42 strikeouts in 50 games at the major-league level. Baty's fantasy stock going into 2025 has never been lower.
Brett Baty
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