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New York Mets infielder Brett Baty

The Major League Baseball season is a marathon. It’s long, it’s arduous. 

And it allows more than enough time to write a story of redemption. Just ask New York Mets infielder Brett Baty . 

The No. 12 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Baty entered the 2025 season hopeful of finally displaying at the MLB level the potential he had flashed during his rise through the Mets farm system. But the first few months saw much of the same inconsistencies that had plagued Baty’s callups in previous seasons, and at the All-Star break, on the heels of a 6-for-32 stretch, he had a slash line of .226/.282/.403. 

It was pretty similar to the rather unimpressive numbers that Baty had put up in the 544 major league at-bats he compiled prior to this season. Fortunately, Baty was not the same player. 

Brett Baty’s Offseason Work Pays Dividends With Offensive Surge

That’s the hidden part of this story. Baty’s numbers only told half the truth in the first half. The real change had already begun in the offseason, when he retreated home to Texas for what he and his trainers called a “deep dive.” His stance narrowed, his lower body worked more efficiently, and the two-handed finish helped elevate the ball. The days of pounding grounders into shifts were dwindling. 

Fangraphs picked up on the trend in early summer — more line drives, fewer rollovers, and a hard-hit percentage that quietly crept into above-average territory. His contact quality was finally matching the expectations that came with his draft pedigree. 

Then came July, and with it, the turning point. Baty caught fire out of the break, and suddenly the swing changes began to translate into tangible results. Since mid-July, he has posted a scorching .310/.372/.548 line with six home runs. His OPS over that stretch placed him among the Mets’ most productive bats, particularly in a lineup that has struggled to find length beyond Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. 

But it wasn’t just about the numbers — it was the moments.  

On July 22, trailing the Angels 4-0, Baty launched a game-changing homer that fueled a comeback rally. By the end of the night, he’d scored the go-ahead run in a 7-5 victory. For a player once written off as streaky, those kinds of timely contributions spoke volumes. 

Brett Baty Labeled as ‘X Factor’ for New York Mets’ Playoff Push

By late August, national outlets started to catch on. Sports Illustrated labeled Baty the Mets’ most important X-factor in the playoff chase, the one player who could swing the outcome of a crowded National League Wild Card race. The Mets’ rotation has been patchy, the bullpen unpredictable, but a hot Baty gives the lineup badly needed stability. 

He’s become a guy opposing managers circle in lineup cards — not because he’s a superstar, but because he’s become reliable. The Mets have been searching for that kind of everyday dependability from their young core, and in 2025, Baty is showing he can deliver. 

There’s still polish needed. The position switch to second base has been bumpy, and scouts remain split on whether that’s his long-term home. But even that experiment speaks to his growth. Instead of shrinking from the challenge, Baty leaned into it — work ethic, adaptability, and a willingness to rebrand himself for the sake of the team. 

If the Mets do play meaningful baseball in October, Baty’s resurgence will be one of the main reasons why. He doesn’t need to be the headline act; that’s still Lindor, Alonso, and Soto. But every October run has its unlikely catalyst — the dependable, unspectacular name who takes a good lineup and makes it dangerous. 

Right now, Brett Baty is writing that kind of story. What started as another year of frustration has flipped into a tale of redemption. 

And maybe, this season the Mets finally get to cash in on the promise they’ve been waiting to see. 

Dave Benson is a veteran writer with over three decades of journalism experience covering sports primarily in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent several years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson