It’s all right if the NY Mets don’t have their Brett Baty plan written in stone

Brett Baty has done everything right when a microphone has been put in front of his face. He spoke recently about his transition from third base to a plan in the outfield and how communicative the New York Mets were about the process of signing Bo Bichette. Their plan with him changed. He, publicly, welcomed it.

How Baty really feels is up for interpretation. It can’t be easy to have the kind of year he did and get passed over for third base where he is the most experienced and comfortable. Baty isn’t afraid of a challenge. He moved to second base regularly last year. This year’s plan will have him experiencing what it’s like to see the bat hit off the ball at even more places.

Right field and first base are the two new spots where Baty will regularly play. It’s already an offseason pivot from him being a left field candidate due to the team shifting Juan Soto across the outfield from right to left. The Mets’ plan with him is far from set. That’s perfectly all right.

Brett Baty doesn’t have to fit into just one position for the Mets anytime soon

Maybe the Mets really do think of Baty as their new Jeff McNeil in every which way possible. Their careers and path to the majors have been dissimilar. Their style of play doesn’t match either. And yet here we are in 2026 with Baty on the roster with no single position. It’s a lot like McNeil after the 2018 season.

McNeil was often doubted early on by the Mets with a hint of faith shown. They replaced him at second base with Robinson Cano in the 2018-19 offseason. It was the catalyst to make McNeil more of a utility player. He made 83 total starts in the corner outfield with a huge chunk of time as the left field defensive replacement late. Additional time was spent at third base with occasional appearances at second base.

The Mets have yet to unleash Baty at that capacity with the 2026 campaign marking this transition. The 2019 Mets seemed to purposefully move off of McNeil from second base. This offseason, Bichette just seemed to happen after they missed out on Kyle Tucker.

McNeil remained in a versatile role throughout his Mets tenure, shifting into more of a second baseman again during Cano’s suspension and as the replacement after. Circumstances differ with Baty yet have a subtle rhyme. Bichette is a question mark for 2027 and beyond. Baty can easily become the third base solution if he opts out.

Beyond that, the Mets have other ways to get Baty in the lineup regularly. He earned his opportunity based off of last year’s performance. He should start every game early against right-handed pitchers with Mark Vientos getting some shots in against lefties. The first base experience will take some adjusting and at least, based on how he spoke after start one of spring training, he’s fully aware of what he can improve on.

Baty remains a future third base candidate for the Mets. He's also very much a solution a few other places, too. It's unique job security for a guy who went into last year with more questions than answers.