WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Brett Baty has not been being attentive to his spring coaching stats. The third-baseman-turned-second-baseman has performed extra video games than another participant in camp with the Mets this spring apart from one, and has maintained a constantly excessive stage of offensive manufacturing all through.
The staff’s chief in OPS might be who you anticipate — Juan Soto, with a 1.217 OPS in 36 plate appearances. However Baty is true behind him, having posted a 1.022 OPS in 50 plate appearances. Listening to this, his eyes went large with shock.
Nonetheless, the 25-year-old is aware of that the one numbers that depend are those he posts in the course of the common season.
“Those stats don’t mean anything,” he stated.
Nonetheless, he’s proud of the outcomes he’s been seeing this spring, and so are the Mets.
“I feel really good at the plate,” Baty stated. “I’m swinging at strikes, taking balls and hitting the ball hard.”
Baty has been hitting line drives, and like he stated, hitting them laborious. He’s hit two house runs, 5 doubles and a triple, stolen a base and lower down on his strikeouts this spring. These line drives are vital, particularly since he’s hitting them laborious sufficient to go over the fence.
It’s no secret that Baty has struggled on the plate within the massive leagues, and it’s led to a number of minor league demotions over the past two seasons. Baty has at all times hit in massive league spring coaching and in Triple-A, nevertheless it hasn’t at all times translated to the Main League stage within the common season. He’s been vulnerable to hitting ground-ball outs as a substitute of elevating the ball.
However now {that a} spot has opened up for him at second base, he seems to have made the mandatory changes on the proper time.
Baty credit a shift in his mindset this spring. His agent related him with hitting coach Aaron Capista over the winter, who inspired him to be aggressive earlier in counts as a substitute of ready for the best pitch.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll sit down and have a meeting with him.’ Had a meeting with him, like, one of the first days I got back [from the playoffs], and we talked for like three hours, and then the next day we were like, OK, ‘Let’s go hit,’” Baty stated. “And then we started hitting. And we pretty much hit like five days a week throughout the offseason.”
Baty was in a position to construct on the work he did at second final 12 months with Triple-A Syracuse over the winter, and whereas he hasn’t precisely mastered the place, the Mets are comfy with him within the center infield. Sending him to Triple-A to be taught second base was an unconventional resolution when it was made final June, however with Jeff McNeil and Nick Madrigal each injured, it was a call that would find yourself paying dividends this season.
“It’s a process, but I think it helped playing those games in Triple-A last year,” stated Mets infield coach Mike Sarbaugh. “If he hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”
Baty seems comfy on the place and has impressed an increasing number of as spring coaching has gone on. Wednesday in West Palm Seashore, he made a diving cease in opposition to the Houston Astros. Thursday, he completed off a 6-4-3 double play within the first inning in opposition to the Washington Nationals by taking a flip from Francisco Lindor behind the bag, and throwing throughout his physique on the run to nab the runner at first.
The pivot to begin double performs remains to be a piece in progress, however he’s progressing properly.
“That’s probably the hardest thing,” Sarbaugh stated. “When you go from the left side to the right side, everything is kind of reversed, so it’s just getting him comfortable with that. He’s worked hard and he wants to get better, so that’s all we can ask.”
The Mets haven’t finalized their roster but, however Baty has out-hit his competitors and confirmed properly at second base. The roster spot seems prefer it could be his to lose.
“He’s putting himself in a good position,” stated supervisor Carlos Mendoza. “Last night was a really good game offensively and defensively, and he continues to do what we’re asking him to do. That’s the only thing he can control. Let us make those decisions. But he’s having a nice camp.”
SENGA GENESIS
Kodai Senga made his ultimate Grapefruit League begin Thursday, holding the Nationals to 1 unearned run over 3 2/3 innings. The run was a results of two straight misplays by catcher Luis Torrens within the first inning. In any other case, Senga appeared strong, putting out six and strolling two with out giving up a success.
Senga was happy with the outing and along with his 2.00 Grapefruit League ERA this 12 months, however wish to make some mechanical changes earlier than his first begin of the common season in Miami. He’ll keep again in Florida with David Peterson subsequent week to pitch in a minor league sport to remain on flip.
Initially Printed: March 20, 2025 at 6:48 PM EDT
