Player Data: 25 (11/13/1999) B/T: L/R
Primary Stats: .254/.313/.435/.748, 18 HR, 50 RBI, 53 R, 100 H, 13 2B, 2 3B, 8 SB, 33 BB, 108 SO, 432 PA, 130 G
Advanced Stats: 111 OPS+, 111 wRC+, 25 SO%, 7.6 BB%, .304 BABIP, .344 xwOBA, 2.3 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR
2025 Salary: $732.6K
Grade: B
2025 Review
For years, Mets fans waited for Brett Baty to deliver on the buzz surrounding him as a top prospect, coming up through the minor leagues. Would that ever come to fruition? After Mark Vientos solidified himself as the team’s third baseman following his fantastic 2024 campaign, it seemed like a trade in the offseason felt like a strong possibility for Baty. That is not how it played out. Instead, he continued to improve on his versatility, continuing to get defensive work at both third and second base. That would help Baty in a big way down the line.
He got off to a really good start with a strong spring training, slashing .353/.441/.745 with four home runs and 11 runs batted in across 20 games. That, plus an injury to Jeff McNeil, ultimately helped Baty make the Opening Day roster. Initially, he failed to capitalize on that opportunity. Over his first 58 plate appearances, Baty was hitting just .204 with a .597 OPS. Strikeouts continued to be a big issue against big league pitching. So the Mets decided to option him to Triple-A Syracuse, ironically, after hitting a key home run off Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies on April 23.
Baty was not in Syracuse for long, quickly returning to the big league roster less than two weeks later. From that point on, he was a completely different hitter. Baty had some ups and downs the rest of the season, but on the whole, he was an impact hitter. He provided quality at-bats from the middle/bottom order on a pretty consistent basis. Over a 111-game stretch, Baty slashed .263/.324/.448 with 17 home runs and 46 runs batted in. While strikeouts remained a big part of his game, he was now making harder contact more often. Baty would wind up finishing the year with a 47% hard-hit rate, surpassing his previous career-high from 2023 (44.5%).
In addition to his improvements offensively, his comfort level at second base opened a lot of people’s eyes. Baty was always known for his glove at third, but would his defense carry over to another spot on the infield? Yes, absolutely. He accumulated three defensive runs saved at second, which ranked 14th among players with at least 350 innings spent at the position. Impressive when you consider he only started working at the position in 2024. His defensive numbers at third should not go unnoticed either. Baty had 14 defensive runs saved in just 573 innings at the hot corner. Had he played a full season over there, he would have been on pace to be one of the league leaders in that statistic. The 2025 season was a really good one for Baty, both offensively and defensively.
2026 Preview
This offseason may require quite a bit of change, particularly regarding the Mets’ group of position players. The idea of trading one of the young infielders seems more likely than it did previously. If that does happen, Baty should not be the one to go. His 2025 season should position him to not only remain with the Mets but also become an even bigger part of the team. His bat, for the first time in his career, showcased consistency. Baty should be the everyday third baseman in 2026, with the ability to help out at second when needed.