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When Brett Baty went into right field in Wednesday’s finale versus the Milwaukee Brewers, we understood the assignment even if we didn’t agree with it. The Mets weren’t going to play Luis Robert Jr. three days in a row off of the IL. Andy Green wanted to give Juan Soto a day off. Left with Tyrone Taylor or maybe even Jared Young, they went with Baty.
It didn’t take long for him to misjudge a fly ball which seems to be a recurring event in the outfield. Start number 18 on the year at the position, he has seen less and less time in the outfield over the last two months because of how deep the team has gotten there. This wasn't good enough for his latest miscue.
The Mets are at a weird point where they’re trying to spread out the playing time with the purpose of increasing trade value, or maybe in the case of Taylor, protecting it. Whatever it is they’re thinking, there was one more thing they could have done with Baty that they haven’t done nearly enough.
If the Mets are going to play Brett Baty, why not at first base?
Baty has started only 7 games at first base with a few more as a defensive replacement there. They’re trying to turn him into a utility player while allowing him to grow as a hitter. The experiment with both hasn’t gone incredibly well. He remains a steady defender at third base, maybe average or slightly above at second base, and clueless at times everywhere else.
First base has been his weakest position in terms of OAA at -3. But that’s also over such a small sample and if there’s a position where the Mets could certainly use depth, it’s there.
If the goal has now become to focus on the future, Baty needs to see some first base action. Jared Young is getting the bulk of those reps, understandably because of his bat. Already a first baseman/corner outfielder with some flashy plays at first base this season, the only explanation here is the Mets want to see more from Young at this spot all the while testing Baty further at new spots.
Easily one of the most complicated players on the Mets roster, his former first-round pick status along with the strong finish last year has made him a guy the organization continues to show faith in. Currently on a fact-finding mission with him, the right field experiment hasn’t gone well. First base, which remains a mystery and maybe a position he can learn better based on what we’ve seen from him at other infield spots, is probably the better spot to focus on.
Baty has done an incredible job going from getting smacked in the face by missed pop ups at third base to looking the way he does with the glove. Rarely one who has exhibited extreme confidence, we can jump to the conclusion that moving all over the field has hurt his bat this year. That’s not to say they should end this completely. But maybe sticking with him as an infielder, where he has grown, is best.
Baty, to his credit, owned the mistake immediately by finding Christian Scott in the dugout. He added to the apology with a home run.
With the Mets over the last two seasons, there seems to be a breaking point for experiments like this. Jeff McNeil's error in Philadelphia last year ended his center field tenure. Could this be the final look of Baty in right field?
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This article was originally published on risingapple.com as There’s something better for the NY Mets to do with Brett Baty than the outfield.
