Mets Option Brett Baty to Triple-A

This season, 51.8 percent of Baty’s batted balls have been ground balls. That’s almost 10 percent higher than league average.  Baty has done a good job at hitting the ball hard this year, so better power numbers are likely to come if he can hit more line drives and fly balls.

The former first-round pick has always been known for his raw power, ability to hit, and below-average defense. While his offense hasn’t been as advertised, his defense unfortunately has. Although defensive metrics don’t always align, they agree that Baty has been bad at third base this year. In 647.1 innings at the position, he has -8 Defensive Runs Saved and -6 Outs Above Average.

What Has Baty Done Well?

Although the Mets optioned Baty, not everything has been bad for the former top prospect. As mentioned earlier, the Mets and Baty should be encouraged by his hard contact. He’s in the 69th percentile in Hard Hit percentage and 63rd percentile in Average Exit Velocity. These are signs that Baty’s raw power is still there and can be tapped into.

It’s a similar situation to when the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Yandy Diaz because they identified how hard he hit the ball. The team traded for him ahead of the 2019 season and worked with him to hit the ball in the air more. Diaz finally felt comfortable enough to fully buy into the adjustments after receiving an extension before this season.

The results? Diaz’s slash line (.315/.398/.508) is filled with career highs. Ditto for his 14 home runs and a flyball rate of 23 percent. His hot start earned the 32-year-old his first All-Star honors.

Making a Diaz-like turnaround is easier said than done. But, it at least provides a positive context to Baty’s underlying metrics and hope that his future is still bright.

Who Fills In?

Mark Vientos is expected to receive most of the playing time at third in Baty’s absence. It will be his first real opportunity at an extended look at the Major League level. He has struggled in sporadic playing time in his young career but has looked better as of late.

Since being recalled in mid-July, Vientos has hit .256/.286/.436 with one homerun in 39 at-bats. The numbers aren’t great, and his 12:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio is troubling. The Mets optioned Baty with the expectation that he will be back before the season ends. Hopefully, the consistent playing time allows him to settle in and finally mash as he has in the minors.

Defensively, Vientos is even worse than Baty. In just 41 innings at third, Vientos has already tallied a -2 DRS. While the Mets would rather have good defense than bad, they will likely be thrilled with Vientos establishing himself offensively even if his defense lags.