The New York Mets faced a chaotic game on Friday night marked by a rain delay, unusual rulings, and a lengthy battle stretching into four extra innings. While the team’s offense struggled for much of the contest, Brett Baty stood out by continuing his impressive streak of power hitting that has sparked hope amid the team’s inconsistent performance.
Baty, the promising young infielder, has been the focal point of the Mets’ offense recently, demonstrating a notable surge in his batting power during this stretch of games.
Baty’s Recent Performance and Home Run Impact
After enduring three consecutive hitless games from May 18 to 20, Baty bounced back with a solid performance on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 and driving in three runs. He carried that momentum into the Friday matchup, matching his 2-for-4 record with another home run and a crucial single that fueled the Mets’ ninth-inning comeback attempt.
Against right-hander Matt Sauer, Baty connected with an 89.6 mph cutter located in the middle of the strike zone. His hit traveled approximately 385 feet with an exit velocity of 98.7 mph, securing a home run despite being modest in distance. According to Baseball Savant, this blast would have cleared the fences in two-thirds of MLB ballparks, demonstrating the practical power behind Baty’s swing.
Since his return from Triple-A Syracuse, Baty has adjusted his approach by lifting the ball more frequently, resulting in increased success at the plate and a significant uptick in extra-base hits.
Statistical Evidence of Baty’s Power Growth
Mike Mayer highlighted Baty’s impressive streak: this recent homer marked his sixth home run among his last 11 hits, underscoring a clear power surge. Baty currently boasts a .473 slugging percentage accompanied by a .247 isolated power (ISO), which, if maintained over a sufficient number of plate appearances, would rank among the top 20 power hitters across Major League Baseball.
Prior to this stretch, Baty’s major league ISO had never exceeded .158 in a single season, with last year’s figure falling below .100. By comparison, his career ISO during 427 plate appearances in Triple-A stands at .257, mirroring his present MLB numbers. Although the jump to major league pitching is notoriously challenging, this data indicates that his emerging power is not a mere anomaly but a reflection of genuine improvement.
Further analysis of advanced metrics shows Baty’s expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) at .324, surpassing his actual weighted on-base average (wOBA) of .297. His expected batting average (xBA) also exceeds his real batting average, standing at .256 compared to .222. The expected slugging percentage (xSLG) of .481 reaffirms the increase in his power output throughout MLB games.
Areas Needing Improvement Despite Encouraging Signs
Despite these positive trends in power hitting, Baty’s ability to reach base still requires attention. Although he collected four hits in his last two contests, his batting average remains a modest .234. More worrisome is his sharply reduced walk rate, with only four walks recorded this season, including one in the 11th inning on Friday, placing his on-base percentage at a low .265.
His swing tendencies have not changed drastically from previous years, but he is facing roughly 2% more pitches in the strike zone while chasing pitches outside the zone slightly more frequently. This adjustment may be influencing both his power and on-base skills, and balancing these factors will be important going forward.
Significance of Baty’s Uptick in Power Within Mets’ Outlook
The Mets likely anticipated this kind of growth from Baty when they called him back from Syracuse for another opportunity. After several MLB chances that had yet to yield substantial results, it appeared the window to secure a key role was narrowing for the young infielder.
While it is premature to declare a full breakout, Baty’s recent surge indicates he is on an encouraging trajectory. He sits just three home runs shy of matching his career MLB high of nine, a total he achieved in nearly four times the number of at-bats, highlighting the pace of his current improvement.
In a season marked by inconsistent offensive production, Baty’s power surge is providing the Mets with much-needed energy and hope for stabilizing their lineup’s production as the season progresses.