Mets’ Brett Baty has chance to solidify place in lineup after homer

The Mets’ new-look top of the order has settled in and is showing potential few teams can match. The bottom of the order, though, has been a problem. 

The Mets’ various young options who have been given chances at third base have not yet run with the job. 

So if Brett Baty can keep hitting like this, maybe two Mets issues could be solved. 

Batting out of the 7-hole, the young infielder did his part in drilling a home run in the Mets’ 6-5, Subway Series-opening comeback victory over the Yankees at Citi Field on Friday. 

Baty’s RBI from that home run was the only one collected by the Mets’ Nos. 6-9 hitters.

Brandon Nimmo has looked natural at the top of the lineup; Francisco Lindor has shown signs of breaking out of his slump; Juan Soto is on a tear; Pete Alonso is powerful; and Jeff McNeil, the hero of the day, can hold down the fifth spot. 

Baty entered his fourth-inning at-bat in an 0-for-14 skid.

But he first smacked a single through the left side and, two innings later, stepped up against righty Ian Hamilton. 

In the sixth, Baty saw a first-pitch slider well and laid off a pitch that slid out of the strike zone.

The next slider crossed the middle of the plate and Baty “just let it rip,” he said, in lasering his ninth homer of the season and first since June 14 over the right field wall to bring the Mets to within one run. 

Baty was happy to help his team but did not feel as if he were representing the bottom of the order. 

“I think we’re all just one unit,” Baty said. “I think, honestly, every single one of us at any point can do damage.” 

The 25-year-old can do damage, as he demonstrated during his huge May, but his results (and the club’s results) were not there in June. 

Ronny Mauricio has not hit much and is piling up strikeouts. Mark Vientos has gone 2-for-19 since returning from the injured list. 

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The Mets would love for someone to step up, and perhaps Baty — who is the best third baseman in the mix — is creeping his foot forward. 

For his part, Baty has felt his at-bats — even while he couldn’t find a hit — have been strong. 

“Especially this past week and in the Milwaukee series, I feel like I hit three or four balls over 100 [mph], and just none of them fell,” said Baty, whose OPS sits at .685. “So I think it’s just staying within myself and just keep doing the same thing, try to hit the ball hard.”