5 NY Mets players who could get buried on the roster early in 2026

4) Brett Baty

You can’t mention Vientos and Mauricio getting buried without bringing up Brett Baty. The Mets seem to like him if they’ve even considered putting him out in right field as a temporary solution until Carson Benge is ready if he doesn’t make the team. Last year’s regular move to second base for Baty and the success he had showed he can do it. There will be ways to get Baty into the lineup and on the field. He still needs to hit.

What works for Baty better than Vientos is that he hits left-handed. The majority of pitchers in baseball throwing from the right side will help him become the stronger half of any platoon. Baty can regularly circulate through playing infield and outfield as well as getting DH at-bats. He might even be a candidate to become the most regularly used player at first base. If the team is bold enough to consider Jorge Polanco, why not Baty who is younger and is coming off of a better defensive season?

The important thing for Baty is to not go silent at the plate. He does have a minor league option left. The Mets won’t be afraid to use if he’s void of power and batting in the low .200s.

The worst scenario for Baty is easy to spot. Polanco and Vientos share the 1B/DH duties with Benge out in right field. Baty can be a utility player, but other than spot starts, he’s sitting around waiting for an injury to happen.

Baty bought back a lot of good faith in 2025. It can get sold again if it’s Memorial Day and he’s repeating what he did in past years.