New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza put his two most intriguing options competing for the utility-infielder role, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna, at their unnatural positions during Tuesday’s spring training loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Baty, a natural third baseman, played second while Acuna, who played shortstop and second base in his brief major-league stint last year, manned the hot corner.
Outside of Max Kranick bullying his way into consideration for the starting rotation, this roster battle could be the biggest story in the final three weeks of the exhibition season. As president of baseball operations David Stearns preaches versatility, both Baty and Acuna will get a chance to show they can be just that in hopes of breaking camp with the big club.
As things stand, a largely cemented roster only has this one non-pitching opening, and both youngsters are making strong cases.
In seven spring games, Baty is batting .444 with a 1.333 OPS, two home runs, and three RBI. This is nothing new for the 25-year-old, who has a knack for putting up gaudy numbers in the spring or in Triple-A.
Translating it to the big leagues has been the issue.
In 544 MLB at-bats across three seasons, Baty is batting.215 with a .607 OPS. His struggles after a quick start to last season in which he began as the team’s starting third baseman ultimately opened the door for Mark Vientos to run away with the third-base job — a place where the right-handed slugger remains heading into 2025.
It has forced the organization’s once-perceived third baseman of the future to realign his expectations, something he does not have much of an issue with. He spent a significant amount of time at second base when he was demoted to Triple-A last season.
“If I’m the utility man, then that’d be awesome,” Baty said. “Any spot on this team to help the team win, I’m for.”
He could potentially get a few looks at shortstop before camp breaks, too — and a degree of competence there would only help his chances to make the big-league roster.
“As far as shortstop goes, we’ll see,” Mendoza said. “If we have to put him on a back field, if we feel comfortable enough and he feels comfortable enough to have a game here on the big-league team, we’ll go that route.”
Acuna is already capable of playing second, shortstop, and the outfield, though Tuesday was the first time he lined up at third base. While his offensive numbers are lagging so far this spring (2-for-13, 3 K’s, 1 RBI, .368 OPS), his late-season contributions in September filling in for the injured Francisco Lindor have made a lasting impact on the organization.
In 14 MLB games, he battled .308 with a .966 OPS, three home runs, and six RBI.
Stearns admitted at the start of spring training that Acuna’s offensive game still needs developing, which makes the prospect of him playing sporadically as a utility infielder counterintuitive.
Ultimately, this comes down to ensuring that either player would get enough bats if they did make the team.
“There’s always ways to get at-bats for them,” Mendoza said. “It’ll play itself out as usual. We got guys that take a lot pride on playing every day. You have to be smart with some of them, and we’ll find a way to get at-bats if we need to, when we have to make those decisions.”
How would that happen, though?
If Jeff McNeil continues his struggles from the last two seasons, it is open season at second base. The former batting champion is batting .211 with a .566 OPS in 19 spring at-bats.
Starling Marte’s uncertain status with the team could also create an opening. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported earlier this week that the Kansas City Royals remain interested in the veteran outfielder, whom the Mets tried to trade all winter.
Getting a deal done for him opens at-bats at the DH spot, which provides Vientos defensive days off and an opening for, say, Baty, to get his better glove in at the hot corner.
If there is no clear avenue for at-bats for either player, though, the Mets might be more content rolling with Luis De Los Santos as a pure utility infielder. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut last season with the Toronto Blue Jays after an extensive minor-league career that featured impressive defensive versatility — though he is a natural shortstop, which is where he played between Baty and Acuna on Tuesday.
That would ensure both promising talents get the consistent playing time they need in Triple-A while remaining on the doorstep as a first and second option to fill any voids on the big-league roster.
For more on the Mets, Luisangel Acuna, and Brett Baty, visit AMNY.com
