Biography
Brett Austin Baty (/ˈbeɪti/ BAIT-ee; born November 13, 1999) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Mets selected Baty in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Early life
Baty attended Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, where he played basketball, baseball, and football. One of Baty's football teammates was current New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson. As a senior, he hit .615 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs. He was named the Gatorade Texas Baseball Player of the Year. He committed to play college baseball at the University of Texas.
Professional career
Baty was selected by the New York Mets in the first round (12th overall) of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He signed for $3.9 million and was assigned to the Gulf Coast League Mets. After five games, he was promoted to the Kingsport Mets before being promoted to the Brooklyn Cyclones. Over 51 games between the three teams, he batted .234/.368/.452 with 7 home runs and 33 RBIs. Baty did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Baty returned to Brooklyn to begin 2021. In June, Baty was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game. Following the game, he was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Over 91 games between the two teams, he slashed .292/.382/.473 with 12 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 22 doubles. Baty began the 2022 season with Binghamton, and was promoted to the Syracuse Mets in August.
Following injuries to Eduardo Escobar and Luis Guillorme, Baty was called up to the major leagues on August 17, 2022. He hit a home run in his first major league at-bat on a curveball from Jake Odorizzi. He became only the fifth Mets player to homer in his first career MLB at bat. Baty ended up going 1-for-4 with two RBIs, including a 113 mph groundout that was the hardest hit ball by a Mets left-handed hitter off a lefty pitcher since 2016. On August 31, Baty underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb and missed the remainder of the season.
Baty was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the 2023 season. He was called up to the Majors on April 17 after batting .400 in 35 at bats with Syracuse. On April 27, during a game against the Washington Nationals, Baty went 3–for–3 with two singles, a walk, 3 RBI, and a home run, a 400-foot solo-shot to center. It was his first career 3-hit game. He became the first Mets third baseman age 23 or younger with three hits in a game since Wilmer Flores in 2013. In 108 games for the Mets in 2023, Baty batted .212/.275/.323 with 9 home runs and 34 RBI.
On May 3, 2024, Baty hit two home runs in a loss against the Tampa Bay Rays, marking the first multi-homer game of his career. He was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on May 31. In 2024, Baty played in 50 games for the Mets, batting .229/.306/.327 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI.
Baty was named to the Mets' Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. On April 24, 2025, Baty was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after Jeff McNeil was activated from the injured list.