Brett Baty is in line to be Mets' primary 2B while Jeff McNeil is out

Brett Baty's strong spring training performance appears to have earned him the starting second base job while Jeff McNeil is on the IL.

Mike Phillips | Mar 27, 2025

Mar 17, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets third base Brett Baty (7) fields a ground ball during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

The New York Mets are set to begin the season with heightened expectations and some key injuries. Two members of their projected Opening Day lineup entering spring training, Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil, are starting on the injured list, which creates opportunities for other players to step up in their absence.

While Luis Torrens is expected to be the primary catcher with Alvarez out, there had been some questions about who would get most of the work at second base with McNeil sidelined. The logical assumption has been that Brett Baty and LuisAngel Acuña would share the job, but Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shared yesterday that Baty would get "a lot of the reps" at second.

Carlos Mendoza says Brett Baty will receive "a lot of the reps" at second base with Jeff McNeil starting the season on the IL pic.twitter.com/j3FccLBNGn
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2025

Fewer players had a better spring than Baty, who hit .353 with four home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.186 OPS in 51 at-bats. The pop was a pleasant surprise for Baty, who appeared to be driving the ball with more authority than he ever had in his previous big league auditions.

Update: Brett Baty hit another homer. He leads the Grapefruit League in OPS. pic.twitter.com/Uf7uAU6idA
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 21, 2025

There had been buzz that the Mets were pleased with Baty's improved offense at the end of last season before a thumb injury short-circuited his chances to contribute to their playoff push. The Mets had also been getting Baty work at second base in the minors and it appears to have paid off as he looks reasonably comfortable at a new position.

With McNeil's oblique injury a tricky one to get over, Baty could have a long leash to establish a footing as a big leaguer. While Acuña did make the Opening Day roster, he is likely to inherit the short side of a platoon as Baty, a left-handed hitter, will start against right-handed pitching. Mendoza also said they feel comfortable with Baty hitting against left-handed pitching.

This opportunity is a huge one for Baty, who had started to receive the label of a AAAA player thanks to his constant success at mashing Triple-A pitching followed by struggles in the majors. Baty's excellent spring bought him a new lease on life with the Mets, who also don't need him to be a savior a deep batting order.

This early audition will help establish what the Mets do with Baty, who could force his way into more at bats with a strong start or earn a ticket back to Syracuse if he struggles against big-league pitching again. There is also a chance this opportunity could help Baty's trade value, allowing the Mets to use him as a trade chip to address another area of the team while finding a spot for Baty to play his natural position somewhere else in the league.

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