PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Friday¡¯s Grapefruit League game was barely an hour old, yet Brett Baty had clearly established himself as the most productive player on the field.
In the first inning, Baty ranged left from his position at third base, gloved a grounder, slid smoothly on one leg and popped up to make a strong throw across the diamond. In the top of the fourth, he leaped to grab a Jos¨¦ Ferm¨ªn line drive, before tossing the ball casually to first to complete a double play. In the bottom of that inning, Baty blasted a Michael McGreevy curveball 109.8 mph over the center fielder¡¯s head for a double.
Later, Baty capped his afternoon -- and the Mets¡¯ 3-2 win over the Cardinals -- with a 105.6 mph homer.
¡°I busted my [butt] this offseason,¡± Baty said afterward. ¡°I think it¡¯s showing right now.¡±
Offensively, Baty enters his final days of camp leading the Grapefruit League with a 1.123 OPS. He has three home runs and 10 extra-base hits in 18 games. Defensively, Baty has demonstrated aptitude at multiple positions. With Jeff McNeil set to miss the early weeks of this season recovering from an oblique strain, Baty has played himself into position to draw the lion¡¯s share of second-base reps in April.
So productive has Baty been that Friday morning, a reporter asked manager Carlos Mendoza if McNeil might still have a job when he returns.
Mendoza downplayed any thought of a roster challenge that -- at best -- is weeks away from happening. But he did not downplay the impact Baty has had in camp.
¡°Hopefully, the guy gets an opportunity and runs with it,¡± Mendoza said.
When it comes to Baty¡¯s spring production, it¡¯s worth wondering how much of this is real and how much might be a Florida mirage. Baty has enjoyed strong Grapefruit League showings in the past -- most notably in 2023 when he batted .325/.460/.425 over 23 games, and last year when he hit three homers in 53 at-bats. He¡¯s never managed to translate it to the regular season, fanning concerns that his former Top 100 prospect status was a mirage.
Those types of things, the 25-year-old acknowledged, are ¡°obviously hard to ignore.¡± But he has tried not to internalize them or let them affect his mental state.
¡°I didn¡¯t put those expectations on myself,¡± Baty said. ¡°Those were given to me. I¡¯ve just always tried to be the best player I can be.
¡°I¡¯ve never had, like, ¡®Oh my gosh, I¡¯ve got to be a Hall of Famer because I was on the Top 100 prospect list.¡¯ Or, ¡®I¡¯ve got to be an All-Star right away, because I was on a Top 100 prospect list.¡¯ Those are expectations that come from the outside.¡±
From the outside world, evaluations of Baty remain mixed. Scouts around the Grapefruit League are not all aligned on Baty¡¯s offensive future. One has concerns about Baty¡¯s load, describing him as a hitter with ¡°dead hands¡± that stay too still to generate consistent power against elite pitching. Others don¡¯t consider that a problem, believing Baty can succeed in the Majors with his current stance and swing.
If nothing else, the scouting community agrees that Baty¡¯s defensive improvements look real -- proof of a player getting better over time. Mendoza has encouraged him to stay aggressive on defense, even if that means risking errors. It¡¯s resulted in a freer, more athletic infielder, as Baty demonstrated Thursday in turning a slick, 6-4-3 double play with Francisco Lindor -- one of numerous defensive highlights for him this spring.
Finally, some scouts question Baty¡¯s ability to produce in front of a ¡°third deck¡± -- a reference to larger big league stadiums, which come equipped with higher stands, bigger crowds and heaps more pressure. That¡¯s something the Grapefruit League simply cannot simulate.
But this is the training ground the Mets have available to them, and within this Florida bubble, Baty has passed every possible test. He¡¯s all but certain to break camp with the team. And while Baty is unlikely to start Opening Day against left-hander Framber Valdez, he figures to play second base more often than not the first week or two of the season.
What Baty does with those opportunities will go a long way toward determining, once and for all, if he will figure into the Mets¡¯ long-term plans.
¡°It¡¯s just one day after another of being where your feet are and trying to get better at the game,¡± Baty said. ¡°Because nobody¡¯s ever going to figure this game out.¡±
Baty paused, glanced over at Juan Soto¡¯s locker and laughed.
¡°It looks like Juan has though,¡± he said.