PORT ST. LUCIE — When spring coaching begins subsequent yr, a key query may very well be whether or not Brett Baty is able to grow to be the Mets’ beginning third baseman.
The group’s high choose within the 2019 draft, Baty progressed final season as group officers would have hoped. Alongside the way in which, Baty (together with top prospect Francisco Alvarez) represented the Mets within the Futures Sport throughout All-Star Weekend, earlier than he participated within the Arizona Fall League.
“Final yr was my first full season, so I’m able to get one other style of one other full season,” Baty mentioned Sunday after a exercise at Mets minor-league camp. “I’m trying ahead to taking part in extra video games hopefully this yr. I’m trying ahead to the journey.”
The 22-year-old Baty performed 91 video games final season for Excessive-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton and produced a .292/.382/.473 slash line total with 12 homers and 56 RBIs.
In 25 video games within the Arizona Fall League he owned a .292/.373/.405 slash line with one homer and 15 RBIs. Included have been Participant of the Week honors to begin his Fall League.
“There’s so many proficient guys on the market and for me to get named like that, it was only a actually large honor,” Baty mentioned. “I swung it effectively early, then form of acquired into just a little stoop, nevertheless it was superior, nice publicity on the market, nice expertise.”
Baty has competitors simply forward of him at third base. Mark Vientos loved a breakout season offensively, with 25 homers in 83 video games for Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. Due to the overlap, the Mets have dabbled with Vientos and Baty within the outfield.
However Baty is thought to be the stronger defensive participant at third base, even because the group works with him to enhance his lateral motion.
“Now we have put emphasis on it, simply transferring laterally as a result of third base is such a fast place,” Baty mentioned. “You’ve got to be prepared for something.”
Baty considers it a pleasant rivalry with the 22-year-old Vientos, a right-handed slugger who may very well be prepared to assist the Mets sooner or later this season.
“We’re nice mates on and off the sector,” Baty mentioned. “The competitors is there for certain, however we push one another in an actual great way and get one another higher.”
Alvarez (No. 10), Baty (No. 45) and Ronny Mauricio (No. 53) all cracked MLB Pipeline’s checklist of the High 100 prospects for this season.
“Now we have acquired a terrific group of younger expertise right here,” Baty mentioned. “All of us can swing it. All of us can play protection and we actually push one another too, and we’re nice mates on and off the sector. It’s simply superior to have that core unit proper there and we’ll simply see what occurs.”
Alex Ramirez and Jaylen Palmer are among the many subsequent wave of prospects within the farm system.
A 19-year-old outfielder, Ramirez obtained a $2.05 million signing bonus on the worldwide market from the Mets in 2019. Final season he slashed .258/.326/.384 with 5 homers and 35 RBIs in 76 video games for Low-A St. Lucie.
“First, it’s engaged on that perspective, but in addition engaged on my hitting simply to have environment friendly actions,” Ramirez mentioned.
Palmer, 21, was drafted as a shortstop from Holy Cross Excessive in Flushing, however has begun receiving reps within the outfield. Final season he slashed .244/.354/.368 with six homers and 39 RBIs in 105 video games for St. Lucie and Brooklyn.
“The outfield has grown on me just a little bit, I’m not going to lie,” Palmer mentioned. “However any manner I can get my bat in there.”
