It’s September. There’s just about a month left of games to finish out a disappointing season for the Mets. However, New York’s remaining schedule gives Billy Eppler, Buck Showalter, and others a chance to evaluate the talent currently on the roster before the offseason.
Right before Ronny Mauricio made his big-league debut on Friday, I mentioned how the kids need to play as close to every day as possible. Outside of maybe needing a breather, things like matchups, platoon splits, and all that stuff shouldn’t matter. Mauricio, Francisco Alvarez, Mark Vientos, and Brett Baty need to play in all situations.
They were all playing in DC against the Nationals on Tuesday night, and it went incredibly well during a blowout win:
Baby Mets in their first time all in the lineup together:
5-for-13, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 3B, HR, SB, 2 HBP, BB
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) September 6, 2023
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We should now expect it to happen often from here on out, right? Not so fast, as Metsmerized’s Mike Mayer reports. He caught SNY’s Gary Cohen recounting a conversation he had with Buck Showalter about how he’d manage down the stretch.
If you thought Buck has said some ridiculous things already this year, then hold onto your butts:
Here’s the audio of Gary Cohen passing along his convo with Buck Showalter about the Mets playing their lineup different against contenders. pic.twitter.com/PQrXmsMPDs
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) September 6, 2023
This is quite literally the most atrocious thing I’ve ever heard Showalter say since the Mets hired him. What exactly does New York owe to contenders? That’s right — absolutely nothing. They owe it to themselves to evaluate Baty and the rest of the Baby Mets before free agency opens up.
Let’s also not forget that Baty collected a two-RBI single on Tuesday night…off a left-handed pitcher:
THE KIDS!
Brett Baty drives in Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez! pic.twitter.com/6ae9XwqzJk
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 5, 2023
Baty’s numbers against left-handers in the majors this year aren’t good. Through 71 plate appearances, he’s slashing .169/.217/.277 with five extra-base hits (four doubles, one home run). Do you know how one gets better at a situation in which they’re struggling? They keep getting opportunities!
I remember a while ago when people said Brandon Nimmo couldn’t hit left-handed pitching. So far in 2023, he has a respectable .284/.344/.409 line against southpaws. You know, because he got an opportunity to keep facing them.
At the very least, you’d hope that’d mean Vientos — a right-handed hitter — would get time at third base with a lefty on the mound. Since he’s not the best defender, that could mean it’d be Jonathan Arauz. He can field, but he’s literally a black hole in the lineup. Arauz has a .429 OPS through 63 plate appearances with the Mets.
Showalter needs to manage in a way that’s best for his team’s future. You’d think that’d be obvious since he’s currently expected to be a part of it in 2024. If the Mets do bring in a new President of Baseball Operations, though, maybe Buck won’t be around. After reading and hearing his ridiculous plans for Baty, maybe the right thing to do would be to part ways.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
