How about Brett Baty?
Brett Baty hit one of four Mets home runs early on Tuesday as they took the first game of their big series against the Padres
What’s up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets defeated the Padres 8-3 at Citi Field on Tuesday night (box)
The Mets piggybacked both Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea on the mound, and both pitched well. Holmes allowed just two solo home runs over four innings and Manaea allowed a solo home run over five innings
The Mets put up a five spot in the first inning against Michael King, two more against him in the second and then another in the fourth before knocking him out of the game. They clocked four home runs against him
Five of the runs the Mets scored came with two outs, and the club went 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position on the night
The Mets are 5-9 in September, 15-10 in series openers at home, 52-28 when scoring first, 18-11 against the NL West and 23-31 since the All-Star Game
Injury Updates 🏥
C Luis Torrens (bruised forearm) went 0-for-4 for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday
C Francisco Álvarez (bruised elbow) left Tuesday’s game after being hit in the elbow by a pitch. He is day-to-day
OF Tyrone Taylor (strained hamstring) left the team for the birth of his child, but is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
This week on the podcast, Laura Albanese, Mets beat writer for the Mets (and host of the First Time Listener, Long Time Caller Podcast), joined Rich MacLeod to analyze the Mets collapse, the state of the locker room, and discuss if they can find their way into the postseason.
Playoff Race 🏁
The Cardinals beat the Reds 3-0, and the Diamondbacks beat the Giants 6-5. With the Mets beating the Padres, they pulled to within four games of the second wild card, pushed the Reds and Giants to three games behind, but held their ground on the Diamondbacks, who remain 1.5 games behind them for the final wild card spot.
The Mets own the tiebreaker against the Cardinals Giants since they won the season series against them in 2025. However, the Mets do not own the tiebreaker against the Reds since they lost the season series against them this year. The Mets and Diamondbacks finished the season series tied, but since Arizona currently has a better record against their own division against the Mets, they own the tiebreaker over them as well.
Per Fangraphs, the Mets have an 86.2% chance of qualifying for the postseason.
Play of the Game ⭐️
With a run in and the bases loaded with nobody out, Mark Vientos grounded into a 1-2-3 double play, seemingly thwarting the chance for a big inning at the time. But Jeff McNeil grounded a two-out double to plate two more runs, keep the inning alive and setup a big two-run home run from Brett Baty afterwards.
It was McNeil’s double which truly changed the tenor and tone for Mets in another must-win game on Tuesday.
Stats of the Day 📊
The Mets have scored 239 runs since August 1, which is the second-most in the majors and NL over that span, only trailing the Brewers
The Mets hit at least four home runs for the 13th time this season which is the third-most such games in the majors and the second-most in the NL
Their 72 home runs since August 1 are the second-most in the majors and the most in the NL
The Mets are 58-40 in games played by Brett Baty this season. He is hitting .297/.368/.491 with five doubles, nine home runs and 19 RBI with only 44 strikeouts over his last 56 games dating back to July 4
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Jonathan Pintaro (no. 17 prospect, Triple-A): 4 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K
LHP Jonathan Santucci (no. 14 prospect, Double-A): 4.2 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
LHP Franklin Gómez (High-A): 4 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K
Double-A Binghamton took a 1-0 series lead in their Division Series against the Somerset Patriots with a 3-1 win on Tuesday night
The Brooklyn Cyclones captured their first ever South Atlantic League championship with a 2-1 win over the Hub City Spartanburgers on Tuesday
SCORES
High-A| Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (78-73) vs. Padres (82-69)
Where: Citi Field — Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP David Peterson (9-5, 3.77 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (13-5, 2.73 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Brett Baty has earned his keep for 2026 ✍️
I will say this - the Mets certainly came out charged up on Tuesday and apparently buoyed off of their smashing walk-off win after what was a lifeless eight-game losing streak on Sunday. The big early lead helped both Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea pitch as well as they did despite the three solo home runs they combined to allow as well.
But most importantly, the Mets didn’t play tense. They just seemed loose and confident from the first pitch on Tuesday in general, even after Mark Vientos grounded into that maddening 1-2-3 double play in the first, which of course there wasn’t a single person watching who didn’t think that was going to set the tone for the night. Thankfully, Jeff McNeil didn’t let that happen when he immediately followed that with a two-out, two-run double to create necessary space against the Padres and put Michael King up against the ropes.
While I do believe McNeil’s hit was the play of the game and unquestionably the most important hit of the game, it was Brett Baty’s home run that followed which got me thinking about a few things to talk about today.
McNeil’s double kept the train going, plated two runs which nobody thought would score, and gave Baty an opportunity to come up aces for the Mets with a massive two-run home run which hasn’t landed yet. That made it a 5-0 game when again, we all believed they would be going to the second having settled for only one run after loading the bases with nobody out.
But do you think Baty might’ve come up with that home run last season? Or the year before? Or the year before that? Or even three or four months ago?
I will be the first one to gladly take the loss on what I felt was non-negotiably wrong with Baty until now. He just wasn’t a big leaguer, didn’t show any confidence or poise out there, and just seemed destined to go to baseball’s graveyard of sweet swings but misses. But not only has he matured and evolved as a player, he has clearly become a confident player out there as well. He is someone who admittedly would take pitches off and become a player who attacks strikes and into an overall threat at the plate.
He’s a different player than he was earlier in the season and earlier in his career. Sometimes, it takes longer than it does for others and longer than most would like for a player to blossom, but perhaps we are seeing just that with Baty, three years after he made his big league debut?
Since July 4, a span of 56 games played, Baty is hitting .297/.368/.491 with five doubles, nine home runs, and 19 RBI with only 44 strikeouts during that span. This season, the Mets are 58-40 when Baty makes an appearance. He’s been the seventh-best third baseman in the National League during that span with 2 fWAR.
I mean, he’s been an indisputable force for the Mets over the better part of three months of play, and they’re just a far better team with him than they are without. Who would’ve thought that after everyone (including myself) wanted them to find a bonafide third baseman this past winter?
A key difference for Baty year over year has been his ability to produce against fastballs. He has put up a run value of 3 against four-seamers, compared to -3 from a year ago. His hard hit rate has more than doubled against that pitch as well. That’s simply the result of a change in approach - his bat speed has always been in the top percentiles in the league, and we all know his swing path has been one of the best since he came up.
Is he putting it together? Can the Mets rest their laurels on three strong months from Baty and move forward with him into 2026?
The thing is, they probably have to, no matter what. Yes, both Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez will likely hit the free agent market this winter. But we all know the Mets are going to be dedicating their primary resources to fixing this severely broken pitching staff, even with the emergence of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat. They also need to decide whether or not they’ll try to retain Pete Alonso again, find another outfielder, and build better positional depth elsewhere besides third base.
With Baty’s emergence this season, they can probably afford to take a chance with him again but feel better about what he might be able to produce with him going forward.
No matter what, between Baty, Vientos, and Ronny Mauricio, Baty has clearly won the season-long race at third, which started in spring training but really didn’t begin to define itself until July. He has earned the starting job over there, at least on this roster, and if the Mets do decide to upgrade there, he’s at least built up some meaningful trade value for them if they go that route.
But I’d bet on Baty manning the hot corner in 2026. He’s earned it.
Around the League 🚩
There was no hangover for the Phillies on Tuesday - they pounded out four home runs in a 9-6 win over the Dodgers
The Yankees nearly blew a 10-1 lead but held on for a 10-9 over the Twins
Cal Raleigh hit home runs 55 and 56 as the Mariners beat the Royals 12-5 for their 10th win in a row
Michael Busch hit his 29th home run and the Cubs knocked Paul Skenes out in the fourth inning in their 4-1 win over the Pirates
Misc Comment from Above Articles
If Torrens Alverez are both hurt, whose 2nd catcher after Senger
Manaea pitches a solid 5 innings in long relief, getting the W. I for one, thought Manaea wasn't pitching too bad this season. He just came back from injury early, had no spring Training to get his arm in shape AND WAS HORRIBLY MISMANAGED BY METS MAMAGER AND COACHES
Your just coming around on Baty. Which is long past due. Especially as the article said he's been hot since 7/4. 2 1/2 months BABY.
Said awhile Baty should be batting alot higher than 7/8 every game.
And Baty should be batting wherever Vientos is put in lineup. Especially with Vientos high K rate, low BB rate, and is very very slow
Tong 100% shouldn't be a Mets Starter next year. He needs to start 2026 year in AAA. From a previous Baron srticle that i didn't previously respond to
AND FOR 3 METS WHO DONT GET ENOUGH CREDIT. BY JUST METS STAFF
NIMMO MCNEIL have had a very good year. And with SENGA great first half. Are big reasons, Mets had best record in 1st half of 2025
If I were making decisions for next year Alanso 1b?, Acuna 2b, Lindor ss, Baty 3b, Nimmo lf, I'd find a real CF that can hit and field, Soto rf, Vientos dh, Alvarez c. G it's time for Peterson to throw a gem tonight!