Baty on taxi squad, excited for chance to potentially help Mets

MILWAUKEE -- When the Mets clinched a playoff spot Monday in Atlanta, an old friend was there to party with them. Brett Baty, who had not been around the team since the London Series in June, suddenly found himself back in the clubhouse enjoying the champagne celebration.

For Baty, this felt like a long time coming. Demoted in May amidst a significant slump, Baty returned for one game in London but otherwise spent the remainder of his season at Triple-A Syracuse. It wasn’t until late August that he appeared to find his groove again, taking a 9-for-23 run with three homers and five RBIs into an Aug. 22 game against Durham. That night, Baty fractured his left index finger on a hit-by-pitch, spoiling his chances of returning to the Mets’ roster on Sept. 1.

The injury carried a recovery timetable of 4-6 weeks, effectively ending Baty’s season -- or so it seemed at the time, with the Mets still on the fringes of the playoff race.

“It was brutal timing for sure,” he said. “But you can’t really do anything about it. So I just went down there and tried to rehab and tried to get back to being healthy.”

Baty put his full effort into a rehab program, returning for the final three games of the Triple-A season while using a modified golf-style grip to hold his bat. After the season, he reported to the Mets’ Spring Training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., where his finger continued healing enough for him to begin using his regular grip again.

Now, Baty is back with the Mets on their taxi squad for the National League Wild Card Series. The team won’t activate him unless someone else gets injured, but it’s still very much possible he could play again this season.

“I’m glad I busted my butt to get back to at least have an opportunity to help us get to the World Series, help us win the World Series,” Baty said. “I’m excited.”

For Baty, it is a chance to salvage something from what’s mostly been a lost season. The Mets’ first-round Draft pick in 2019, Baty debuted three years later to significant fanfare, homering on his first swing as a Major Leaguer. But he didn’t make the Mets’ Opening Day roster in 2023 and struggled when given chances, finishing with a .598 OPS. This year, Baty did make the team, but he slashed just .229/.306/.327 with four home runs in 50 games before his demotion.

Back in the Minors, Baty began moonlighting as a second baseman, working daily with former Gold Glover Yolmer Sánchez. He appeared in 27 games at the position and began “to feel more and more comfortable” as the summer progressed.

Whether second can become a long-term home for Baty remains to be seen, particularly with Jeff McNeil, Luisangel Acu?a and Ronny Mauricio all in the organization. But it does give Baty another potential avenue to uncloud his future. At least some of that will depend upon whether impending free agent Pete Alonso re-signs with the Mets, as well as whether Baty’s close friend Mark Vientos stays at third base, replaces Alonso at first or becomes the Mets’ full-time DH.

Most importantly, Baty will need -- at some point -- to prove he can hit consistently in the Majors. He has produced a .607 OPS at the highest level, compared to an .899 mark at Triple-A.

Whether the Mets give him that opportunity or consider him a change-of-scenery trade candidate will become clear over the winter. For now, Baty is hoping to put off those discussions for as long as possible.

“I’m sure after the season’s over, whenever it may be, I’ll sit down with myself and also have some conversations with people here about my future -- where they see me, where they see the team and stuff like that,” Baty said. “But right now, I’m just hoping to maybe get activated and help the team at some point. That’s all I’m focused on right now.”