Brett Baty, Mark Vientos Will Not Make Opening Day Roster
The New York Mets announced on Saturday that both Brett Baty and Mark Vientos have been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse and will not be on the Opening Day roster.
Baty, 23, was vying for the starting third base position and put together a strong Spring Training where he went 13-for-40 (.325/.460/.425) with one home run.
The Mets No. 2 prospect, Baty debuted for the Mets in August of 2022 after a robust season in the minors where he hit .315/.410/.533 with 19 homers and 60 RBIs.
However, a large majority of Baty's time in the minors last year was spent with Double-A Binghamton, minus six games in Syracuse, which seems to be a big reason Mets general manager Billy Eppler wants to start him there.
Vientos, 23, had a decent spring in his own right, batting .278/.310/.481 with two long balls.
Like Baty, Vientos debuted late in 2022 after a strong minor league campaign where he hit 24 home runs and had a .280/.358/.519 triple slash in 101 games.
Vientos can play a few different positions (third base, first base and a little outfield), but is likely destined to be a designated hitter.
With Daniel Vogelbach locked in as the lefty portion of the designated hitter platoon, Vientos could have filled the other side, but he will now get additional seasoning at Triple-A.
That means that the struggling Darin Ruf will get a chance to prove if he has anything left in the tank to begin the year.
Ruf, 36, struggled after being acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline last season to the tune of a .152/.216/.197 clip in 28 games.
Ruf also got off to a delayed start this spring due to a wrist issue but has hit under the Mendoza line since returning.
Both Baty and Vientos will likely be up at some point this year, but they will have to wait in the short term.
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