Brett Batys long-awaited Mets surge comes with crucial question

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.A decision that was rather simple earlier in the season was “not an easy decision” on Wednesday, manager Carlos Mendoza said.Sure, the Mets were facing a lefty in Bailey Falter and wanted to stuff righties into the lineup.

But it has been increasingly difficult to remove Brett Baty’s lefty bat from the lineup.Baty was out of the starting lineup for the 4-0 loss to the Pirates, delaying adding much evidence toward answering the biggest question around the club at the moment: Is this a long-awaited breakout or merely a blip from a top prospect who has yet to taste prolonged success at the major league level?“When [struggling top prospects] have that level of talent, they’re generally going to figure it out at some point and have some success at the major league level,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said from Citi Field.“I think we’re seeing that with Brett right now.”The Mets have seen a different Baty for several weeks, albeit sporadically because of his trips back and forth from Syracuse.

After another slow start — he hit .139 with a .361 OPS after 12 games, a high-upside player who really had only flashed his downside at the big league level in 2022, 2023 and ’24 — it is as if a lightbulb has appeared over Baty’s head.He was excellent for a week, hitting a homer and two doubles during a seven-game span in which he batted .333 with a 1.040 OPS.For his good work, he was sent back to Triple-A Syracuse because Jeff McNeil’s return caused a roster squeeze.

That squeeze dissipated when Jesse Winker suffered a strained oblique, and the 25-year-old Baty returned with the same hot bat.Baty — who went 0-for-2 after entering Wednesday’s loss in the seventh as a pinch hitter for Tyrone Taylor — has gone 6-for-19 (.316) with four home runs in seven games since the most recent call-u...