Mets third baseman Brett Baty is getting quite the crash course in defensive versatility, and he’s loving every second of it. “It’s been really fun,” Baty said with a grin. “It’s different for sure, just learning all the new positions. But I think that’s one of the most fun parts about it—being versatile and showing off athleticism.”
That athleticism has been put to the test as Baty takes reps all over the infield. Manager Carlos Mendoza made it clear from the jump: Brett was going to be spending a lot of time in the dirt this spring. That has meant adapting to second base, a position that offers a different set of challenges compared to his natural home at the hot corner.
“I was taking ground balls at second yesterday,” Baty said. “I was trying to learn from Jeff [McNeil], fun coverages and stuff like that. I already know the basics of it, but just like—what happens on this play? What happens on that play? You just try to learn as much as you can.”
Of course, third base is a position built on reaction time. “You don’t even have time to think,” he explained. “At second, there’s a little more time, especially with footwork and stuff.” To help ease that transition, Baty has been soaking up knowledge from some experienced infielders. “Actually, last year, Dickie Scott in Triple-A was huge for me,” he said. “And then, actually,my teamma Sanchi [Yolmer Sánchez in Triple-A—he has a Gold Glove over there at second, so learning from him was pretty cool.”
While Baty works to refine his defense, he knows the bat is what will ultimately keep him in the lineup. That bat, however, hit a few snags last season. After a promising start, things cooled off, leading to an up-and-down year. “Yeah, I mean, I felt like I was swinging it pretty well early last year,” Baty said. “And then, I felt like I kind of tried to do a little too much. And that was hurting me, and that’s always hurt me in my career. So, I think, just for me, it’s getting back to staying simple and just doing what I can control.”
One thing he can control? Being a good teammate. And if there’s one thing that stands out in the Mets’ clubhouse, it’s the camaraderie. “It’s huge,” Baty said of the team’s chemistry. “I mean, that’s the name of the game right there. When you have your teammates’ trust and confidence, that’s when teams do things that are special. That’s when you see these World Series teams catch fire and go win a World Series.”
Which brings us to the Baby Mets. The highly-touted group of young Mets prospects—Baty, Francisco Álvarez, Mark Vientos, and, when healthy, Ronny Mauricio—have yet to play an extended stretch together at the major league level. But Baty hopes this year changes that.
“Yeah, well, and four with Mauricio, too,” he said, adding the talented infielder to the mix. “Hopefully, I think as his timeline’s progressing… I don’t know exactly what’s going on there. But, I mean, I think back to 2023, the first opening day lineup in Syracuse. I think we put up like 16 runs in the first game. And it was 30 degrees, like it was freezing cold. And we were just smacking everything around. And that was really, really fun just to have us all in the same lineup together. So, yeah, hopefully we can get back to doing that.”
For Baty, the adjustments, the learning curve, and even the struggles are all part of the process. And if he and his fellow Baby Mets can finally stay healthy and productive together? Well, Mets fans might just have something special to cheer about in 2024.
Here is the complete interview with Brett:
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