Mets to call up Brett Baty from Triple-A Syracuse
The 22-year old top prospect is 8-for-22 since his promotion to Triple-A Syracuse
In the wake of injuries to both Eduardo Escobar and Luis Guillorme, the Mets will be turning to a top prospect to help fortify the big league roster, with the club expected to select 3B Brett Baty’s contract from Triple-A Syracuse ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Braves.
Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online was the first to report Baty’s promotion.
Baty’s promotion to the major leagues presumably means Escobar will join Guillorme on the injured list as a corresponding roster move on Wednesday. Escobar sustained a mild strain to his side muscle this past weekend against the Phillies which has left him unable to hit right-handed. The injury also forced him to be scratched from Tuesday’s lineup against the Braves.
With the Mets having traded JD Davis, the Mets currently lack major league infield depth behind both Escobar and Guillorme. The Mets did bring up INF Deven Marrero from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday clearly as a conservative stopgap for the roster while the club strategized around a more significant move.
Baty - the club’s number-two prospect according to MLB.com - will serve as that significant move.
Baty - who was the Mets first selection in the 2019 Amateur Draft - successfully navigated the jump to Double-A Binghamton in 2022, hitting .312/.406/.544 with 22 doubles, 19 home runs and 59 RBI over the season’s first 89 games. In addition, Baty has produced an .800 OPS against left-handed pitching and most recently had two hits against left-handers on Sunday. He has ascended quickly through the minor leagues - he has played in just 237 professional games since 2019 but has produced an .883 OPS in that span.
The 22-year-old Baty recently earned a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse and had gone 8-for-22 with an RBI before the Mets decided he was their choice for a healthy alternative to both Guillorme and Escobar.
The move is noteworthy not just because the Mets decided to add Baty to the big league club, but that they chose Baty over 3B Mark Vientos, the club’s fifth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com and someone who has spent the entire season at Triple-A Syracuse and has hit .274/.354/.517 with 19 home runs and 56 RBI in 336 plate appearances.
Of course, there is a clear concern about whether or not Vientos’ defense will play at the major league level long-term, whereas Baty is seen as a versatile alternative who can play both third base and left field.
As for Baty, his promotion is both bold and risky but given the team’s position in the standings and ability to offer protection around Baty in the lineup and on the roster, injecting youth in a top prospect like this might prove to be a risk worth taking for the Mets down the stretch of the season.
The Mets are also reportedly calling up RHP’s Stephen Nogosek and RJ Álvarez as fresh arms for the bullpen.