Ranking 5 realistic options at third base for the Mets in 2024

3) Brett Baty takes back his job as the Mets third baseman

Baty's recent demotion and continued mediocre play doesn't inspire confidence that he should be penciled in every day on the 2024 Mets lineup. Hopefully he finishes the season strong, whether that be in AAA or with a call up later in the year, but even then, he won't have shown enough to have earned a stranglehold on the job.

Baty's numbers against lefties are the primary reason why he can't yet be trusted to play every day. He's struck out in exactly one third of his at-bats against southpaws, while managing only a single home run and a paltry .159 batting average.

More than any other sport, the major league baseball season is a grind. While the NFL plays just once a week and the NBA has embraced the concept of load management, baseball is still mostly stuck in the old school mindset (pitch counts notwithstanding) of players playing nearly every day. With a season that stretches from April through October, 162 games takes its toll, especially on young players.

Baty will enter next year more prepared for the wear and tear of a full season in the big leagues, but it would behoove the Mets to not put too much on his plate. Buck Showalter called Baty's demotion "just a little timeout" and a "reset". This shows that the Mets still have faith that he can figure things out.

For every Francisco Alvarez and Corbin Carroll that are established as franchise players in their rookie seasons, countless others take longer to become quality major leaguers. It's unfair to expect Baty to be an All-Star right away, but his future is still bright.