Hot-hitting 23-year-old is proving Mets ownership wrong
Oh, what might have been. Over the offseason, the New York Mets reached a deal with Carlos Correa during his confusing run of failed contracts, but the agreement fell through.
The 12-year, $315 million deal likely would have put Correa at third base with Francisco Lindor set to man shortstop. The deal was bad news for the Mets' second-ranked prospect, Brett Baty.
Baty, a third baseman and occasional outfielder, would have had a significantly more difficult path to the majors with Correa in Queens. Even with the deal falling through, the 23-year-old began 2023 at Triple-A Syracuse. He didn't stay there for long.
In Syracuse, Baty got off to a blistering start while Eduardo Escobar, the opening-day third baseman for New York, floundered at the plate. Through only nine games in AAA, the left-handed batter hit five homers while putting up a 1.386 OPS. Meanwhile, Escobar was carrying a .402 OPS through his first nine game.
Escobar's slump, paired with Baty's hot start, forced the Mets to call up the prospect. He has continued to rake since.
On the season, Baty has a 153 OPS+ (an OPS+ of 100 is league average) compared to the 83 OPS+ of Correa, who signed with the Twins, and Escobar's 64 OPS+. Baty looks ready to take over the job now, but Mets manager Buck Showalter is wary to commit.
"We'll make sure we make use of everybody's skills," Showalter told ESPN on the topic of Baty playing every day. "We're not going to commit there."
Although a platoon looks likely, Baty has done a lot to ease concerns of poor performance against left-handed pitchers. He is 3-for-10 against southpaws this season, only striking out twice, and hit this moon shot home run Monday:
Baty counters a 26.8% strikeout rate with a .381 on-base percentage, a good figure. Typically batting toward the bottom of a powerful Mets lineup, he isn't expected to be a star right away.
When compared to the alternatives of a huge, risky contract with Correa or letting a 34-year-old Escobar hit every day, it's pretty clear. Even at 23, Baty looks like the right player to lock down the hot corner in Queens for years to come.
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