Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Mets' surging 'hidden gem' could fuel postseason push

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 8:00 AM ET

So much talk heading into the New York Mets' 2025 season focused on what superstar slugger Juan Soto could accomplish in his first season in Queens after signing a 15-year, $765 million deal last December.

The other biggest piece of offseason news was that Pete Alonso would be returning to the team after re-signing in free agency about a week into February. While these were the two biggest stories heading into spring training, there was also a lot of hype around how 25-year-old infielder Brett Baty might fare in 2025.

This doesn't come as a surprise, given that Baty always seems to enter each season's spring training with a lot of hype, performs well before Opening Day, and then struggles when the games start to count. Therefore, when Baty started the 2025 regular season sluggishly after another stellar spring training, many Mets fans already began counting him out.

Baty was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse about a month into the season before getting recalled about two weeks later. Since then, he has been a completely different player.

Brett Baty Deemed Mets 'Hidden Gem'

It's this resurgent success that made Baty the Mets' "Hidden Gem" this season, according to a September 13 article from Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller.

"On the one hand, Brett Baty was a first-round pick in 2019 and a highly-touted prospect heading into both the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. His success this season has been less of a 'hidden gem' situation and more of an 'it's about time' situation," Miller wrote.

"All the same, he meets the criteria, neither a top prospect this past winter nor a player from whom much was expected after a .607 OPS in 169 games played over the past three years—not to mention the lack of a clear path to regular playing time in 2025.

"Lo and behold, Baty was New York's most valuable position player in May, batting .290/.333/.581 with five home runs," Miller continued.

4/23/25: PHI @ NYM: Brett Baty (1st of season, 16th of career) off Zack Wheeler pic.twitter.com/tF8fd06Jea
— Mets Home Run a Day (@MetsHRADay) September 15, 2025

"He was even a little better than that in August, too, with a .333/.410/.527 triple-slash. (However, that hot streak went a bit unnoticed as the Mets inexplicably went 11-17 while averaging 6.3 runs per contest.)"

Miller concluded by writing, "For the year, Baty has 16 home runs, a .750 OPS and quality glovework at multiple infield positions, finally becoming at least a fraction of what the Mets dreamed he would be."

Baty has produced a .916 OPS in his last seven games and a .901 OPS in his last 30. His consistent performance down the stretch could be exactly what the Mets need to secure a Wild Card spot in these final few weeks.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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