The Mets completed their sweep of Oakland and it is expected that before their series with the Dodgers begins, they will have a new starting third baseman. Unlike the promotion of Francisco Alvarez, who was promoted due to an injury,Brett Baty is being promoted thanks to a fantastic Spring and a tremendous few weeks in AAA. He gives the Mets a legitimate bat to nestle behind Pete Alonso in the lineup and he steps in for a defensively limited player in Eduardo Escobar.
There are whispers of a timeshare role forming with Escobar getting starts against left-handed starters but that isn’t the timeshare the Mets should be employing. While Escobar may get some starts against lefty pitching the Mets should be looking at Escobar and Mark Canha becoming the part time players and utilizing Jeff McNeil’s versatility to shift them around. This could, and should, also eat into Tommy Pham’s playing time as the Mets now have another right-handed hitting option on their bench now.
In a perfect world, the veterans begin hitting again and become depth assets but the writing is on the wall. Should Buck Showalter decide to limit Baty’s time as he has with Francisco Alvarez he would be hurting two top prospects in their development. Alvarez hasn’t hit since being promoted but his inconsistent playing time is a contributing factor in that. We have to hope that Billy Eppler and Showalter have spoken and that the manager intends to play the future star in place of the fading veteran.
This will not be the last time in 2023 that the Mets and Showalter have to make decisions between veterans and prospects. The Mets will eventually need to consider Mark Vientos becoming the full time DH and, in a perfect world, Ronny Mauricio becoming a starting outfielder. If that means that Canha and Escobar are on the bench and Daniel Vogelbach is gone, so be it.
The Old Guard:
1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
2. Starling Marte – RF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Daniel Vogelbach – 3B
6. Mark Canha – LF
7. Jeff McNeil – 2B
8. Eduardo Escobar – 3B
9. Tomas Nido – C
The New Guard:
1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
2. Starling Marte – RF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Brett Baty – 3B
6. Mark Vientos – DH
7. Jeff McNeil – 2B
8. Francisco Alvarez – C
9. Ronny Mauricio – LF
Will Baty and the other Met prospects perform right away? That’s impossible to say. Some players succeed right away and some need to take their lumps. Looks to me like Seattle is seeing the dividends of letting a minor league star take some lumps as Jarred Kelenic is finally back to making Met fans regret that terrible trade. Mr. Showalter, please let the kids play.
One thing to keep in mind is that Kelenic is finally succeeding this year while being utilized as a platoon player. He has 45 PA vs RHP and 7 vs LHP. That may be the best way to break Baty in, too. I’m not saying that’s what I’d do. Rather, I won’t crucify Showalter if that’s the avenue he chooses.
With it being the larger half of the split I am okay with it only if Escobar shows he can hit lefty pitching to some degree.
I think is worth seeing if Baty can hit big league pitching at all. Im 100% against the notion that AAA numbers mean anything for the Majors. I’ll let the anemic offense of Alvarez stand as evidence.
The best players ought to be playing. For now, Nido is a much better catcher than Alvarez. It’s unknown how Baty will be in the Bigs except for the .586 OPS he provided in 40 ABs last year.
If Alvarez is not going to get a chance to hit, he will never prove he can be a hitter. Baty has looked very good in AAA, as has Mauricio. They need to get the chance to show it in the majors and it’s not like Escobar, Canha or Nido (for that matter) have shown us they can hit major league pitching at this point.
I am excited about our new youngsters. Let’s look at it this way. Alvarez + Baty in the lineup are better than Nido + Escobar. The sooner they get steady playing time, they will have a chance to develop. Do we want them getting their first reps now, or in late August? Same for Mauricio. Rather have him in the OF than Pham. Get him some reps now so he can replace Canha. Since Alvarez, Baty and Mauricio will be cheap, there is some money to invest next year in Ohtani.
Let them play! Let them play!
Drawing any conclusion of Alvarez’s future as a MLB player with merely 30 ABs in the bigs, and half of those under poor circumstances in late 2022, would be beyond insane. This kid is just 21, and coming up as a catcher is probably the toughest of any position. Yes, he does look overmatched, and he does overswing at times.
Bady, like Alvarez, should be in the lineup the majority of games, or sent back down. Platoon splitting with Escobar could be a way to do it, but he should face some LHP for sure.
I’m not sure how Mauricio will play the OF in the majors having never played it in the minors. Ditto for 2B.
Baty and Escobar should platoon at 3B in the beginning. It would beneficial for both players. Escobar is better hitter against LHP and maybe resurrect his season so that the Mets have value trading for him at the deadline. I can’t see the Mets exercising their option in 2024 for an utility infielder that is making $10m.
Alvarez should be splitting the time at catcher at least 50%. I will prefer even more than 50%.
If Vogelbach doesn’t hit soon and get his OPS respectable then he will be losing his job and his roster position to Vientos.
As for Mauricio, the Mets should Institute some plan and path to the majors. I don’t want to see him as a utility player for the Mets.
I’m fine with Escobar getting the LHP starts I just want the prospects promoted to be getting more than 50% of the starts so that they actually get the chance to learn to tread water. Alvarez is not getting a fair chance to prove himself and it’s frustrating.
I agree that I think Vientos needs to stay in AAA until the Mets decide Vogelbach isn’t the answer. As much as Vientos hits LHP better he needs to get more than just those starts.
Every single day I dream of seeing Mauricio listed as the starting left fielder.
In AA, the most recent sample with any size, Baty was about even vs. LHP or RHP. In Brooklyn, he was better against RHP — but not bat at all vs. LHP.
I say play him nearly every day at 3B or DH. Don’t turn him into a platoon player, which often becomes self-fulfilling prophecy. Don’t instantly devalue the best, most complete hitter to come out of the system.
We know that Buck can be rigid when it comes to splits. JD Davis never got the ABs he needed to find a flow; some argued — never me! — that Dom was hurt by the platoon.
Escobar can get regular ABs vs. LHP (w/ Baty also in lineup). To me, it’s clear that Guillorme is the guy with no value anymore.
Before the year started, one of my predictions was saying that Luis Guillorme was going to be sent to the minors. Unless Escobar was going to be traded when Baty arrived, it was clear that Guillorme was going to take the hit.
But, one thing that we’ve talked about more than once is having guys on your bench who can contribute in one clear way. And Guillorme is a better defensive player than Baty or Escobar or McNeil. Does a star defensive infielder have more value than a pinch runner deluxe? Does Guillorme potentially add more value than Locastro? Ordinarily, I’d prefer the defensive player. But with this team, with Vogelbach’s ability to get on base, a pinch runner is probably more valuable.
Guess we’ll find out if/when the team is finally healthy.