Friday m൲arked five years since David Wright’s last game with the Mets.
And since then, they haven’t found a replacement.
The production at theꦐ position was so bad in 2023, the Mets probably shℱould have seen if the 40-year-old had a few good at-bats left in him during one of his trips to Citi Field this season.
As it is, six differeℱn🌠t players started at third for the Mets in 2023.
The results have been ugly, with the team ranking second-to-last in OPS from the position (.592), outdone only ꧒by the hapless A’s (.560).
To summarize, the Mets opened the season with Eduardo Escobar at third a🦋nd gave up on that plan three weeks into the regular season, pivoting to Brett Baty.
Baty stayed there consistently until early August, when he was sent back to Triple-A Syracuse, replaced by Mark Vieജntos.
Vientos turned into light-hitting journeyman Jonathan Arauz before Baty’s return at the beginn♔ing of September.
Mauricio got his four-game tryout there in the middle of the month and they’ve stuck wi♍th Baty down the stretch.
N🏅o one, clearly, has staked a claꦦim to the position.
Baty,🤡 in his latest time at third, has been ꧒no better than earlier in the season.
Since being recalled on Sept. 1, the lefty-swinging Baty has just a .540 OPS and a 🅷whopping 20 strikeouts in 67 plate appearances.
Mixed in ꦕthere has been his third five-game hitless streak since Julജy.
But some scouts believe without an offseason move💜, Baty remains the team’s best option — mostly because he has nowhere else to play.
“There’s still potential, but it’s probably good for him that the season’s almost over, because I don’t see it getting much better without some kind⛎ of reset,” one American League scout said.
Another AL scout said they would have Mauricio work more at the position, where he’s played a handful ofꦗ games iꦿn winter ball, as well as the minors.
“I think playing [Mauricio] at second has messed him up at the plate,” the scout said of Mauricio, who caught people’s attention by hitting lasers in his first weeks in the majors, ꦺbut is just♚ 3-for-29 with a homer, a walk and 10 strikeouts in his last seven games.
And Vientos has been used primarily as a DH over the last month and has✨ an OPS of .818 in his last 24 games.
Like the💜 rest, though, Vientos hasn’t hit๊ with any consistency.
“They need one of these guys𝓀 to break ou✃t,” the first AL scout said.
Though Francisco Alvarez has proven to be at least capable on bot🤪h sides of the ball, there’s no indication Baty, Vientos𝓡, or Mauricio have a permanent place in Queens.
“That♍’s what I’d be disappointed by,” said the second scout. “Even in a season like this, youও’d like to be able to learn something about what these guys can do going forward and I don’t think you have any more answers than you did before.”
On the free agent market, Matt Chapm෴an will be availabl🍸e, as will Jeimer Candelario and the Mets will have to determine whether to enter those waters or stay in-house.
