Brett Baty's Hot Streak Creates Sudden Trade Dilemma for Mets

After being selected 12th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, Brett Baty was expected to be the star third baseman the Mets were searching for following the legendary career of David Wright. However, it has been six years, and Baty hasn't had the expected stardom many hoped for.

It all started in 2022, when Baty made his MLB debut against the Braves in Atlanta, with his entire family in attendance to witness the start of his baseball journey. His first at-bat sparked excitement from the entire fanbase, making him the fifth player in Mets history to hit a home run in his first-ever major league at-bat. However, the excitement has faded; the Mets are still desperately waiting for the former first-round pick to pan out.

Now, the Mets face a tough decision heading into a pivotal trade deadline. Do they trade Baty? Or continue waiting patiently for their young infielder to develop?

The last two seasons have provided the 26-year-old infielder more than enough time to push his development. In 2025, Baty served as a consistent starter at third base and provided promising results, batting .254 with 18 HRs and 50 RBIs, while supplying above-average defense from the hot corner.

Entering this season, hope was in the air as the Mets believed that Baty finally had a forever home serving as a super-utility player, trading away Jeff McNeil to prioritize their former top prospect as someone who could provide depth at multiple positions. However, Baty has struggled through 89 games, batting .218 with three HRs and 30 RBIs, striking out 85 times with a .601 OPS.

What does the recent hot stretch say about Brett Baty?

As mentioned, the Mets have been very patient with Baty. He has played in 89 of their 93 games, serving as the team’s everyday third baseman when Bo Bichette was required to switch over to shortstop when Francisco Lindor went down earlier this season, and now as their second baseman with Marcus Semien on the shelf.

The consistent playing time has seemingly allowed Baty to wake up offensively as he currently holds an eight-game hitting streak, batting .265 in his last 10 games, while striking out only eight times and posting a .707 OPS.

Entering play Wednesday night, Baty flashed the fourth-worst OPS (.603) of any qualified hitter in the MLB this season. However, after Jared Young reached base on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, Baty stepped up to bat in the bottom of the 8th with the bases loaded and two outs, coming through with a clutch two-run single to put the Mets up 4-1.

Baty brings home 2️⃣! pic.twitter.com/NsBBKkSaek
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 9, 2026

“My pregame work is really good right now,” Baty said to SNY reporters when asked about his eight-game hitting streak. “Trying just to clear my head and hit balls hard because I've always been good at that, and the first part of this year I've been terrible at it. Just trying to hit the ball hard again.”

For the Mets, Baty’s recent reemergence serves as a positive for two reasons. The first is that Semien has been sidelined with a hip injury for the last several weeks and is expected to remain out for the time being.

Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Semien was managing to play through the injury in May, which caused severe discomfort and obvious struggle in his game. With Baty performing exceptionally well, there is zero reason for the Mets to rush the 35-year-old back.

The other reason that stands out is the potential chance to part ways with Baty at the trade deadline, serving as an attractive long-term option for any team in the MLB. The 26-year-old infielder holds team control until 2029, giving any team a player who can play almost every position at a high level, landing the Mets a potential haul at the deadline.

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