Mets to call up Brett Baty

The Mets are calling up top prospect Brett Baty, according to reporting from Andy Martino of SNY. Baty will not yet be active for today’s game against the A’s, but should be available in Los Angeles for the Mets’ upcoming series against the Dodgers. After putting up a .325/.460/.425 batting line in 40 spring training at-bats, Baty was sent down to Triple-A Syracuse, where he continued to rake, hitting .400 with five home runs and a 1.036 OPS in nine games.

Meanwhile, Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar has struggled, putting up a paltry 7 wRC+ in his first 49 plate appearances of 2023. It was likely a combination of Escobar’s ineffectiveness and Baty’s dominance of Triple-A that forced the Mets’ hand, rather than Baty meeting the elusive “developmental objectives” cited by GM Billy Eppler as a justification for why he did not begin the season with the big league club.

It has not yet been announced who will lose his roster spot when Baty is promoted, but Tim Locastro—the last position player to make the Mets out of camp—has yet to record a hit in ten plate appearances. He has done his job as a pinch runner, stealing three bases and scoring three runs and has gotten on base to the tune of a .300 on-base percentage despite not having a hit. But, without much of a role beyond pinch running specialist, it’s hard to imagine the Mets will be able to justify his presence on the roster once Baty arrives.

In the meantime, Baty playing third base will allow Eduardo Escobar to be put in better positions to succeed as a role player against left-handed pitching, against which he has superior numbers, giving the Mets more flexibility with their roster. He can act as a platoon partner with Daniel Vogelbach in the designated hitter role or come off the bench in multiple infield positions, spelling Baty, McNeil, or one of the Mets’ outfielders, allowing McNeil to shift to a corner outfield spot.

After hitting a home run in his first at-bat in the major leagues, Baty put up a 71 wRC+ overall in eleven games with the Mets last season before his debut was cut short due to a torn UCL in his thumb. He briefly dealt with soreness in his thumb earlier this month, but didn’t miss a beat upon returning to Syracuse’s lineup and will now be rewarded with a promotion to the big leagues. With Francisco Álvarez already up, the Mets now have the opportunity to get an extended look at their top two prospects filling areas of need on the roster.