Brett Baty proving to be difference maker for Mets

Where would the New York Mets be without Brett Baty?

Coming into the 2025 season, the former first-round pick by the Mets wasn’t carrying high expectations. Overshadowed by the rise of Mark Vientos, he was often seen as the forgotten man — with some even wondering if a trade might come sooner rather than later.

Fast forward to September 17, and the narrative has completely flipped. Baty has become one of the most valuable pieces the Mets have to offer. His growth defensively, coupled with the versatility to handle both second and third base, has given the infield a much-needed boost. More importantly, his consistent bat near the bottom of the lineup has provided stability and production that few saw coming.

In the first inning of yesterday’s game against the San Diego Padres, Baty launched a two-run homer, the kind of swing fans in Flushing are starting to expect from him. And if watching him play isn’t enough evidence, the numbers tell the story even more clearly.

The numbers behind Brett Baty’s value to the New York Mets

Baty is starting to hit more consistently than ever before. — Sep 16, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) hits a two run home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

After helping power the Mets to an 8-3 victory over the Padres on Tuesday, Baty added yet another highlight to a season that has shown just how often the Mets win when he’s in the lineup. As Michael Barron of Just Mets pointed out, New York is 58-40 in games Baty has played this year.

For a team that had recently endured an eight-game losing streak, it’s clear that having players like Baty on the field — those who give the Mets their best chance to win — is critical. And it’s not just his defense making an impact. Over his last 30 games, the 24-year-old has been scorching at the plate, hitting .330 with five home runs and a .915 OPS.

The #Mets are 58-40 in games played by Brett Baty this season. He is hitting .297/.368/.491 with five doubles, nine home runs and 19 RBI with only 44 strikeouts over his last 56 games dating back to July 4.
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) September 17, 2025

And diving into the numbers, Brett Baty’s value becomes even clearer when looking at WAR, or Wins Above Replacement. This metric estimates how many more wins a player contributes to a team compared to a replacement-level player who could be called up from the minors.

According to Baseball Reference, Baty ranks fifth on the Mets with a 2.8 WAR, trailing only stars like Soto, Lindor, Alonso, and Nimmo. In other words, he is adding nearly three wins to the team simply by being on the field, highlighting just how important he has been to New York’s success.

Brett Baty joins a list of eight players ever with:

2.5 WAR
110 OPS+
50+ GP at both 2nd base and 3rd base pic.twitter.com/IfstoCpApa
— jack (@Jolly_Olive) September 3, 2025

The Mets have often opted to bench Baty against left-handed pitchers, giving other players like Starling Marte or Luisangel Acuña opportunities to play. However, Baty’s splits show he hits almost equally well against lefties.

Baty is batting .255 against right-handers and .250 against left-handers, including two of his 17 home runs this season. While it is important for the Mets to utilize their full roster and give other players opportunities, Baty’s value on both defense and offense — along with the numbers showing how much more the team wins when he is on the field — makes a strong case for playing him even against left-handed pitching.

With only 11 games remaining and a narrow 1.5-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Mets need every advantage, and putting Baty in the lineup could prove critical to securing wins down the stretch.

The numbers behind Brett Baty’s value to the New York Mets

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