Looking Like A Quality Utility Man
Through Sunday, Brett Baty was 7 for 16 with a walk and 2 HRs. Nice.
Even more impressive to me is just 1 K in 17 plate appearances.
I had written this about Brett’s prior hitting woes in December:
“In 342 MLB career PAs (56.8% of all his PAs) he reaches 2 strike counts, and has hit just .146/.224/.179. Brutal.”
And added this:
“… the best as I can surmise, Baty needs to significantly up his first pitch swing rate from 25.7% to about 35%, and apparently needs to be ready to do more damage on that first swing.”
Just one spring K, so far, to me, tells me he has indeed decided to be more aggressive at the plate early in counts. If so, he may well be ready to break through in 2025. I sure hope so. Swing early, often, aggressively.
Anyway, I like Brett Baty more than Luisangel Acuna for the Mets’ contested utility infield position, essentially for 8 reasons:
He’s 8 inches taller (at 6’2”) than Acuna.
While on the subject of height, over the past several years, the Mets no doubt lead the majors in short prospect players.
Hitters who are 5'6" to 5'8" have included Wyatt Young, Jett Williams, and Luisangel Acuna at 5'6", Carlos Cortes and Matt Rudick at 5'7", and Michael Paez and Drew Gilbert at 5'8". Seven short guys, to the best of my recollection. Such an aggregation seems short-sighted to me.
Can you name seven 5'6" to 5'8" hitters in the majors currently who are not marginal but actually successful? Let's see that list.
Stearns, as I have also indicated, noted a few weeks back that Acuna’s not nearly a finished product offensively. As noted in SNY:
“It is unusual when a player reaches the major leagues and consistently performs at a higher level than he performed at in AAA," Stearns said.
"I think another instance of a player who wasn't scared by the moment, and showed up and performed at a high level from day one. With him, let's put offensive contributions aside for a second. The defense is real, and he played at a very high level when Lindor was out. We didn't miss a beat defensively, and I thought that was really impressive."
Asked to define who the "real" Acuña is, Stearns explained:
"I think the real Acuña is a very, very talented player who still has developmental growth needed. And I don't know that that has changed from now versus if we're having this conversation on September 8 last year, before he ever got called up. I think what he experienced last year in September will benefit him, but he's the same player."
So…I would be very surprised (absent a trade) that Baty is not the Mets utility guy as they break camp.Through Tuesday, Baty was hitting 290 points higher than Acuna (.444 vs. .154).
DREW GILBERT NEWS
One would think that a full off season would cure all hamstring ills, especially when he played 70 games AFTER his early 2024 severe hamstring injury, but nearly 4 months after his play in the Arizona Fall League ended, I read this from about a week ago:
Gilbert is still not fully recovered from the hamstring injury that derailed his 2024 campaign, and the Mets are bringing him along slowly in camp as a result, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
"It's just getting over the hump," Gilbert said. "It's nothing serious at this point. Sometimes injuries linger a little bit. Once we get across the finish line, we'll be in a good spot and unleash a little bit."
Man, I would have a talk with all of my young prospects and tell them that once you feel an injury, talk to the manager and come out of the game. It may prevent severe setbacks.
This just in - he won a coveted Hammy Award.
My advice for Drew?
* No stolen base attempts in 2025.
* Develop the bat.
* Play 130+ games.
SOMNOLENT METS PROSPECT BATS
Definition of somnolent: "inclined to or heavy with sleep."
Before we get to the prospects, established major leaguer Jose Siri's bat thru Sunday was anything but somnolent.
In fact, if you projected his early spring pace over 600 at bats, he'd hit .300 and have 180 home runs and 420 RBIs.
- Works for me. How about you?
"Somnolent" does, however, describe prospect bats.
No, Banging Brett Baty is not a prospect, so he is excluded here.
Through Sunday, the following group of 24 prospect "hitters" had combined to go just 20 for 137 (.146) with 2 HRs and 11 RBIs:
Clifford, Juan, Acuna, Baro, 3 De Los Santos (the 3 of whom had combined to go 1 for 20), Ewing, Fanas, Lorusso, Lugo, Morabito, Mosquera, Parada, Alex R, Reetz, Ritter, Senger, D'Andre S, Suero, Swaggerty, Villavicencio, Jett, Wyatt Y.
That's 24 guys, two dozen, hitting like spit. And Simon Juan amongst them was 2-4, with a HR and contributed 4 of the 11 RBIs thru Sunday.
So the other 23, besides Simon?
- Just 18 for 133 (.135) with 1 HR and 7 RBIs. Beyond Ouch.
Good gosh, that is collectively - I dunno - awful? Beyond somnolent.
I look at these 2 dozen guys and I myself feel - I dunno - somnolent.
Of course, those stats would be far better if Drew Gilbert was playing.
But he is somnolent, as in zero plate appearances through Sunday.
EARLY DEPARTURES
Saw this:
“The Mets announced that 13 players (six pitchers, seven position players) have been re-assigned to minor league camp. Those 13 players are:
RHP Ty Adcock
RHP Adbert Alzolay
RHP Dom Hamel
RHP Oliver Ortega
RHP Brandon Sproat
RHP Blade Tidwell
INF Ryan Clifford
OF Drew Gilbert
OF Rafael Ortega
C Kevin Parada
OF Alex Ramirez
INF Luke Ritter
INF Jett Williams”
Was the song “See You in September” playing when they got the news?
FORMER METS PROSPECT CARLOS CORTES STRUGGLING
A non-roster invitee of the Athletics, he was 0 for 13 as of Monday evening. Lots of former Mets prospects like Carlos are not impressing with their new teams this spring.
Maybe we writers tend to overrate our favorite Mets prospects, and lose a little objectivity. I touted the 5'7" Cortes in the past. I was wrong.
TYLOR MEGILL SOLID IN DEBUT
First spring outing on Tuesday for the big fella.
He hurled 47 pitches, a good early March amount, with just one run allowed in 2.2 IP.
Go ahead, someone say something negative about him. I dare ya.
Not me. I am a fan.
HE IS RIGHT ON TRACK. ALL ABOARD!!
27 comments:
I agree on Baty
I also think that Siri will see more thansplit action
I've always been a fan of Baty and have been frustrated by his major league scuffles. I'm really hoping he can pull it together and get 400-500 at bats playing above average to solid defense at multiple positions. I've hear he looks solid average at 2B with room to grow there and the very early reads of him at SS were encouraging (not that I want there to be ANY reason for him to have to play shortstop - Want Lindor out there for 162).
If Baty can do that and his new approach puts him in a betters position to succeed with the bat I wonder if there's a full time roll for him next year either taking over 2B if McNeil doesn't bounce back or becoming the full time DH who can move around and fill in when other players need to get off their feet and essentially swap with them.
I'm going to make a bold-ish prediction and put Baty down for a 270 average, 25 HRs in 475 at bats with an OPS north of 800 this season. Pretty close to what Mark Vientos did during the regular season last year.
I agree with Baty going north and Acuna going further north, (but not because Acuna is less than 6 feet tall).
I also agree with Mack that Siri will probably be considered the starting centerfielder until he isn't.
I agree that the pitching staff in Syracuse should be "Dom"inant, "Sprout"ing good stats, and be razor"Blade" sharp. It should be so hot you'll need "Tong"s to pick it up.
I too, have been a Baty fan for a long time and really hopes he fills that role that you have outlined. The thing I am struggling with is where he is going to be getting those 475 at-bats from - like the budget where you introduce expense, you also have to add some revenue, here you have at-bats, somebody else has to have them taken - there are really only so many to go around.
Where do you see them coming from? Injury, or under-performance by one or two players? McNeil? Vientos? Winker?
Nimmo and Marte are other possibilities, but don't fit quite as well. Nimmo, if he needs OF time off could precipitate a move of McNeil to LF with Baty sliding into the infield. Marte being the righty half of a platoon doesn't really fit at all.
I think Baty struggles to get 300 at bats. Pete and Lindor are iron men, andMarky V will play 85% of games.
R69, that Syracuse pitching will be hot, hot, hot.
Dan, if Baty is aggressive, he will be successful.
I still think there's at least 400 AB out there that Baty can soak up. players get hurt throughout the year. Even a few different players having a short DL stint can open up a ton of at bats, even in the outfield because that could pivot Mcneil to a corner or Winker out of DH for a bit. That said, he can't falter. He needs to be aggressive and consistent in his approach and stay out of his head!
I too have been on the Baty bandwagon from the beginning. But Dan, at this point he would be lucky to get 100 AB's.
I have an out of the box suggestion. At the cost of bristling a few hairs on Winkler's arse, how about we start the year with Baty as the left handed DH. He can also fill in a game at 2B/EB occasionally. At this point his development has to come before Winkler's feelings. I know he will probably freak, but he is still getting paid 7.5M for the year. Just an idea.
Winker has been on base 7 of 14 times so far. Compare that to the abysmal performance so far of our prospects at the dish. Few seem to like Wild Man Winker. I'm a fan.
With another Nimmo injury he's becoming Marte the sequel so more Winker in LF with more Baty DH
My thoughts on Baty
The talent has always been there. The approach and maturity hasn't.
Young bats tend to first over compensate followed by under then loss of confidence. You never saw Hank Aaron get depressed because he was on a mini slump
We saw the same from Vientos and it took awhile for Nimmo to develop
I want Baty on the 26 but I don't want to see him get lost on the bench again
I still thing DH should be an option
Gary, if am Nimmo, I have to realize knee problems are a warning and scrap his trademark sprinting to first on walks. I say that as someone who ran a marathon and a bunch of 5, 10, and 20K races 30+ years ago. I am so glad I stopped. or I would have needed hip or knees surgery. Nimmo is only as good as his healthy parts. And the Mets owe him a ton of money.
Mack, I think Baty went thru the Kelenic phase. He has to realize he has burned a lot of his rope and come in determined and ready to battle the highs and lows much better than in the past. His career depends on it.
Tom, I am not against Winkler in any way. I was just weighing Baty's development. I believe his upside is better than Winkler's. If Baty goes north now as a utility man, I can't see him getting more than a few AB's per week.
Maybe they are building him up for a trade?
JoeP, I think they will hold onto Baty now, because if someone in the infield gets hurt, he can play 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. No one else in the system can, except perhaps Joey Meneses, who looked good the other day hitting 2 deep fly ball outs. Maybe by the trade deadline, they will feel Acuna is ready to be Mr. Utility.
LOLLLLLLLLLLLL
Now that’s how you start a morning!
I second the motion!!
That’s a fair comment Tom.
Thanks Gus . . . glad I could help :-)
I see that Jose Iglesias has signed a minor league deal with the Padres.
Iglesias a MINOR LEAGUE DEAL? That’s so weird…hit .337 last year!
R69 on a roll! I love it!
With a .382 BABIP. And very little power and he's now 35 years old. He is a part time utility player. He has been a good average hitter for awhile, but his OBP to go with it is not great and he averages 4 homers a year. Teams are looking at guys that can come off the bench and hit a homer occasionally.
I would prefer a DH role to a utility infielder role because then he can focus on his approach at the plate. A utility infielder has too many opportunities to develop a distracted mind.
To Me it's just sad. I think he's better than half the infielders in the league. Half the starting infielders on second tier teams are hitting like .220 or below. Yes, they may hit a few more homeruns but they strikeout 30% of the time.
JoeP, I expect Iglesias to make the Padres team and hit .280. He probably signed a split deal to not have to be added to the 40 man right now.
Tom, where do you rank Elian Pena on the Mets propect ranking?
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