New York Mets fans chafed as team says it’s "unfair" to promote prospect Brett Baty this soon: "It’s unfair to have the fans watch more Escobar ABs"

Highly-touted New York Mets prospect Brett Baty is tearing up minor league pitching at Triple-A Syracuse, but don't count on seeing him at Citi Field just yet.

According to a report from Andy Martino of SNY, the Mets organization believes that it would be "unfair" to call up Baty until he gets more time to hone his defense at third base.

Through four games, Baty is hitting .400 with a 1.377 OPS. He has hit two home runs to go with two stolen bases, six RBIs and five runs.

The news had eyes a-rollin' among New York Mets fans, who are forced to watch their current starting third baseman — Eduardo Escobar — struggle to the tune of a .100 average and seven strikeouts in 20 at-bats. Meanwhile, Brett Baty —who hit .325 with six RBIs and seven runs scored in spring training — is providing just the kind of offense that the team desperately needs.

Unsurprisingly, Mets fans keyed in on the "unfair" aspect of Baty's continued minor league purgatory.

The Mets escaped a worst-case scenario this week after Baty left a game due to discomfort in the same right thumb that he underwent surgery on last year to repair a torn ligament. An examination and scan determined that the cause of the discomfort was mere inflammation.

Mets fans have a number of theories about why the team isn't calling up Baty, everything from the need to move him to the outfield or the concern over getting another year of service time out of the star prospect before the specter of free agency down the road.

It may take an injury to Escobar for the New York Mets' hand to be forced in regards to Brett Baty. The team called up 21-year-old catcher Francisco Alvarez on Wednesday as semi-starting catcher Omar Narvaez went on the injured list with a calf injury.

The Mets have had similar misgivings about Alvarez's defensive abilities, but his 1.056 OPS at Syracuse this season apparently has the big club willing to overlook any prospective defensive deficiencies. Many fans pointed that out, and asked why not Baty?

Brett Baty hit .184 in brief New York Mets 2022 debut

Brett Baty of the New York Mets hits an RBI single.

A squad with heavy World Series expectations, the New York Mets have stumbled out of the gates offensively. The team is 27th out of 30 MLB ballclubs with a .208 batting average.

However, any hopes of Brett Baty immediately turning around the club's offensive woes upon his hoped-for recall must come with the warning that he did hit just .184 over 11 games with the Mets at the end of last season.