New York Mets debutante third baseman Brett Baty on Wednesday night joined rare company – those who have homered in their first at-bat as a major leaguer.
In a key matchup between two National League East powers (NYM-ATL GameTracker), Baty in the top of the second launched a two-run homer off a Jake Odorizzi curveball that gave the Mets a 4-0 lead over the Atlanta Braves and gave Baty a career OPS of 5.000. Here's a look:
Welcome to the show, @baty_brett!
— MLB (@MLB) August 17, 2022
In his first MLB AB, he hits his first career homer! pic.twitter.com/G3BU3w3FUl
That one left the bat at 98.5 mph and traveled 377 feet into the (suburban) Atlanta evening. Best of all, Baty's family was on hand to witness his perfect first trip to the plate as a big leaguer:
The reaction of Brett Baty's family to his first homer is everything pic.twitter.com/Zl0ydKWHIe
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 17, 2022
The homer also made Baty one of the few Mets ever to go deep in his first AB:
Mets to homer in 1st career at-bat:
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 17, 2022
Brett Baty, Today
Mike Jacobs, 8/21/05
Kaz Matsui, 4/6/04
Mike Fitzgerald, 9/13/83
Bennie Ayala, 8/27/74
The Mets called up the highly regarded Baty on Wednesday largely because they've struggled to get consistent production from third base this season. Baty certainly seems capable of improving that particular situation. The 22-year-old Baty, who was the No. 12 overall pick in 2019, has excelled this season even before hitting that unforgettable homer above. In 95 games at the Double- and Triple-A levels in 2022, he put up a slash line of .315/.410/.533 with 19 home runs and 22 doubles in 420 plate appearances. He's been a primary third baseman this season, and he's also seen time in left field. Coming into this season, our own R.J. Anderson ranked Baty as the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball.
The Mets came into Wednesday night's game having lost the first games of the four-game set against the Braves but still holding a 3 1/2 game lead in the NL East.
