New York Mets fans overjoyed as team calls up hot prospect Brett Baty at last: "Finally a real third baseman" "It’s about damn time"

The New York Mets called up hot prospect Brett Baty from Triple-A Syracuse. Two-plus weeks of watching Eduardo Escobar flailing helplessly at the plate have apparently been enough.

Baty, the Mets' top farmhand, was tearing up Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .400 batting average, five home runs, 15 RBIs, and nine runs scored to go with a 1.386 OPS through nine games.

Escobar, who held down third base in New York until Baty was deemed ready by the Mets hierarchy, hit just .114 with one homer through 13 games this season.

With New York Mets owner Steve Cohen committing roughly $364 million to the payroll for 2023, New Yorkers were expecting more out of their team than a 9-6 start to the season. It is hoped that Brett Baty's recall will help wake up a hitting lineup that has been largely stagnant this April.

Brett Baty hit .325 with one homer and six RBIs over the '23 Spring Training games in March, while Escobar played for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. Baty's demotion to Triple-A before Opening Day, with the organization saying he "needed more reps" at third base, enraged many New York Mets fans. The struggles of Escobar, who was named the team's starter at the hot corner, have only fanned the flames of discontent for many New Yorkers.

Some Mets fans are concerned as to how much Bretty Baty will play now that he has been called up. Mets manager Buck Showalter has played top-catching prospect Francisco Alvarez in three games since his call-up on April 7th.

While the New York Mets are just 2-1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East race, Mets fans are anticipating much more than hovering around the .500 mark. However, a weekend trip to play the woebegone Oakland Athletics has provided some wins.

Whether swapping out Escobar for Brett Baty proves to be the spark to ignite New York's liftoff remains to be seen. Not all fans are convinced he will hit MLB pitching anywhere near as well as he does Triple-A offerings.

Brett Baty's call-up should come with tempered expectations for New York Mets faithful

Brett Baty #22 of the New York Mets is congratulated by Brandon Nimmo

A squad with heavy World Series expectations, the New York Mets have stumbled out of the gates offensively. The team is 28th out of 30 MLB ballclubs with a .221 batting average.

However, any hopes of Baty replacing Escobar and immediately turning around the club's offensive woes should come with the caveat that he did hit just .184 over 11 games with the Mets at the end of last season.