Former New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty continued his spring-training positional journey around the diamond today, making his debut in right field as the Mets lost to the Washington Nationals, 7-4.
Baty played second and third last year, of course, but this year the Mets are trying to turn him into a so-called super utility player. He played first base against Team Nicaragua in Tuesday’s 6-3 Mets victory on Tuesday, and today he posted in right field at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. It was Baty’s first start in the outfield at the big-league level.
The Mets’ newest right field is being open-minded about all this, mostly because he has to be. The Mets went out and signed free agent infielder Bo Bichette to a big contract after losing out on free agent outfield Kyle Tucker, so Baty got bounced from the job he thought was his.
No matter. So far Baty is holding his own in all this. On Tuesday he bolted from first to chase a ground ball hit at second baseman Marcus Semien, but today was quiet, save for fielding a single off the bat of Nationals outfielder Robert Hassell III in the fourth inning.
“[Playing the outfield] is feeling more normal,” said Baty in a piece written by Bill Ladson of MLB.com. “It’s like when I played in Double-A. I’m having a lot of fun out there.”
Baty works out in the outfield while the Mets are taking batting practice, learning the angles and nuances of the position. That doesn’t mean he’s lost his bat, however, as Baty also chipped in offensively with a two-run homer.
Met manager Carlos Mendoza appreciates the versatility, as well he should. He calls Baty an athlete, based on the fact that the then-infielder shifted over to second base and made 181 chances in 57 games and had just two errors.
“It is good to see him in action here. He is feeling comfortable [in right field],” Mendoza said. “[Being an all-purpose player] is going to be his role. It’s a valuable role. We’ve been pretty honest with him. He is on board. There are going to be at-bats for him in a lot of different positions. He could play third, second and first, and now the outfield is in play.”
The Mets seem all-in on extending this experiment through spring training, regardless of the bumps in the road. It’s probably not the best use of Baty’s somewhat unique skill set, but it does have some potential. The Mets need Baty’s bat and glove in the lineup, regardless of where he turns up in the field.