1 hot NY Mets spring training performance to buy, 1 to sell, 1 to let marinate

Let Brett Baty prove himself in the regular season

We’ve seen this before with Brett Baty. Currently a player you could consider a Four-A All-Star because of how well he hits in the minors and in spring training, Baty’s .308/.372/.538 slash line with 3 doubles and 2 home runs has helped make him a lock for the Opening Day roster. He’ll do it as more of a second baseman than third baseman due to the Jeff McNeil injury.

If this was the first time in his career Baty was hitting like this, maybe he’d be worth buying into. However, with 602 plate appearances under his belt and only a .215/.282/.325 slash line to show for it, we can’t get caught up in the hype.

In 2023, Baty hit .325/.460/.425 in the spring. Only a double and a home run going for extra-bases, the big change this February/March has been the increase in power both in the form of doubles and home runs. They aren’t gaudy numbers and yet their superiority hints at Baty maybe having the right connection to drive the ball further. Of all the things that have been the most disappointing in his MLB career it’s the lack of consistent power. We can almost excuse the poor batting average and other lackluster numbers. Last year’s hard-hit percentage of only 33% is where a line needs to be drawn.

Don’t buy any new Baty stock but don’t sell it either. He should get ample opportunity, once again, to prove himself. Does he go the route of Mark Vientos last year or will some early struggles put him back in the minors sooner than later with an even more questionable future? We are really hoping it’s not the latter.