With Jeff McNeil starting the season on the IL with an oblique strain, Brett Baty was given a prime opportunity. Not only would Baty and Luisangel Acuña get to split time at second base, but Baty had the inside track to prove himself as a big leaguer, something he hasn’t been able to do, at least on a consistent level, since his call-up in 2022.
And after a red-hot spring in which he posted a 1.186 OPS, four home runs, and 11 RBI, Baty seemed poised to take this latest chance and run with it.
Unfortunately for Baty, the start of his 2025 regular season has been nightmarish, and Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Marlins at Citi Field was a game to forget for the 25-year-old, as he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while also committing an error that cost the Mets’ two runs in what turned into a 5-0 loss.
“Just kind of indecision. Just being in-between, not having the finger on the trigger,” Baty said about his struggles after the game. “I just need to do a better job offensively and defensively, for sure.”
“I guess you could pin it to [confidence] maybe a little bit,” he added, “but at the end of the day, I was feeling great with the cage work today and going into the game, so it was there. I’ve just got to do a better job for sure.”
Baty’s fielding error in the top of the fifth led to the Marlins’ first two runs of the game. With a runner on first and nobody out, Baty fielded a grounder to his left, spun, and tried to make the throw to second base, instead sailing the ball past Francisco Lindor into the outfield. The next batter, Matt Mervis, singled up the middle to break a scoreless tie.
Baty made no excuses about his poor play, though he did point out it’s been a relatively small sample size for him this season. In 27 at-bats, Baty has just three hits, slashing .111/.111/.148 with four total bases and 11 strikeouts.
And with McNeil taking another step forward in his recovery by taking batting practice on the field on Tuesday while getting closer to a rehab assignment, Baty knows his window as a starter, at least presently, could be closing soon.
But the former first-round pick is only focused on getting better every day.
“That’s always kind of in the back of your mind, but what I try to tell myself is I just have to control what I can control,” Baty said when asked if wondered about how many more opportunities would come his way. “If I see my name in the lineup, control what I can control that day, just be who I am that day. Just be where my feet are.”
And if you ask manager Carlos Mendoza, the Mets still believe in what Baty can be at the big league level.
“I’ve been around him now for quite a bit, and he knows how to handle (himself),” Mendoza said. “Obviously, it’s not easy because you want to see the results, and as of right now he’s struggling. He’s going through it. But he’ll continue to work hard, we’ll continue to support him, continue to give him opportunities, and he’s got to fight through it.
“We believe in the player. There’s tools, there’s a lot to like there. You can say the same thing about Luisangel Acuña. They’re both going to get opportunities. They’re good players, they’ve got talent, so we’ve got to do everything in our power to make sure we get the best out of them, and you do that by giving these kids an opportunity, and they’re going to continue to get it.”