The wait for the true arrival of the former top-prospect class once called the “Baby Mets” is becoming a tiring tradition in Queens.
Super-utility man Brett Baty, infielder/DH Mark Vientos, and catcher Francisco Alvarez are wrapping up yet another set of subpar seasons, as their emergence as reliable everyday players has never gotten past the percolating stage over the last half-decade.
Vientos’ 27-home-run season in 2024 looks like a flash in the pan now. He’s batting .214 with a .657 OPS, 12 home runs, and 36 RBI in 76 games.
Baty’s numbers managed to regress compared to a 2025 campaign in which he hit a career-best 18 home runs with 50 RBI in 130 games (393 at-bats). In 373 at-bats this season, he’s batting .223 with a .634 OPS, eight home runs, and 43 RBI.
Then there is Alvarez, the former No. 1 prospect who was supposed to develop into Major League Baseball’s next great power-hitting catcher. Instead, while continuing to battle with ceaseless injury issues, he’s batting .231 with 13 home runs in 98 games.
How much longer can president of baseball operations David Stearns wait? There is a new crop of young talent brewing in the pipeline, and there needs to be some semblance of reliability in every corner of the roster if the Mets truly want to contend in 2027.
If the organization’s comments are any indication, it’s that Vientos’ time in New York is the most in jeopardy out of the trio. Interim manager Andy Green sent the 26-year-old a very clear message when he began his rehab assignment for his fractured wrist earlier this summer, which he relayed on Aug. 26:
“I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs,” Green said. “Still think there’s a very bright future out there for him if he wants to go grab hold of it. That’s on him. When he gets back in the box, take advantage of the at-bats you do get, and prove you deserve more at-bats.”
Simply put, the Mets are not going to do him any favors, and with the way the roster is shaking up, there might be no room for him. Despite a disastrous first season in Queens, Jorge Polanco is still expected to be in the mix for reps at first base next season. Jared Young has also made a strong case to cement himself there as a left-handed option.
Vientos’ glove is not good enough at third base, and there are not enough at-bats to work into a hypothetical DH platoon or as a right-handed power option off the bench. It would be mutually beneficial for both parties if he were able to get consistent playing time elsewhere.
As for Baty, he has drawn the short end of the stick throughout the last nine months. The signing of Bo Bichette forced him out of his spot at third base, making him a utility option that can play corner outfield spots, second base, and the hot corner.
That versatility is something that Stearns has always lauded, and the offensive adjustments they have thrown at Baty might finally be sticking. Over his last 11 games, the lefty is batting .375 with a .965 OPS and five RBI.
He has had these short spurts of promising offensive runs before, so that should temper expectations. Regardless, he’ll likely stick around in this identical utility role.
Alvarez likely will not be going anywhere, and the perception surrounding him will have to change, though the Mets already appear as though they are working on that.
The 24-year-old is too injury-prone and cannot seem to get his offensive game over the hump, regardless of the sweeping adjustments that have been attempted to be administered to him. There is a reason why Luis Torrens was not traded. This could potentially be one of the better, more reliable catching tandems in baseball as long as Alvarez can stay on the field. Torrens can thrive as a backup, not so much as an everyday option.
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