“He’s hitting velo, he’s hitting fastballs, he’s pulling balls, he’s staying back on breaking balls,” Mendoza highlighted all the reasons why Baty’s breakout is legitimate. “Even his takes are different. It looks like he’s ready to hit, and then just shoving it down.

Carlos Mendoza explains Brett Baty’s impressive turnaround since his return to the Mets lineup after New York took down the Pirates Tuesday.

Under different circumstances, Brett Baty would still be toiling in the Minor Leagues, his name bandied about in half-baked trade ideas, his future unclear. When the Mets demoted Baty to Triple-A Syracuse late last month,

Baty heard boos from Mets fans earlier this spring as he continued to perform like a "Quadruple-A" player -- one capable of flashing plenty of promise in Triple-A but then can't match those performances at the highest level.

Vientos was asked if he is okay with Baty taking his spot in the infield, and delivered a one-word answer. As Sammon noted, Baty did not start Sunday's contest, but entered as a defensive replacement late in the game. If the Mets prefer him defensively over Vientos, then it makes sense for the latter to get more starts at DH.

Brett Baty is day to day as far as playing time is concerned. But Mets manager Carlos Mendoza appears to be warming up to the infielder. Before Saturday’s game against the Cubs, Mendoza talked about Baty’s athleticism.

The Pittsburgh Pirates continued to struggle with runners in scoring position and let Mitch Keller’s strong start go to waste in a 2-1 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday night.