Mets’ Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña failing to capitalize on 2nd base opportunity

While Jeff McNeil works his way back from the oblique strain suffered during spring training, the Mets continue to search for offense from second base. 

Both Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña have disappointed at the plate in McNeil’s absence. 

Instead of forming a decent lefty-righty platoon for Carlos Mendoza, the young duo has mostly flailed at the plate. 

The Mets entered Monday’s game against the Marlins with the worst OPS among second basemen in the majors (.306), and the two have combined to go 4-for-35 with a walk and 11 strikeouts. 

Acuña then went out and went hitless with a misplay on a grounder in the seventh inning of a 2-0 win over the Marlins at Citi Field Monday night. 

That lack of production has been somewhat masked by having Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo ahead of them, as well as Francisco Lindor, who figures to be warming up.

President of baseball operations David Stearns said prior to the game he hoped one of either Baty or Acuña would take hold of the position until McNeil’s return — which figures to be weeks away, since he’s been unable to hit outside due to the inclement weather in recent days at Citi Field. 

“Offensively, both players haven’t gotten off to the starts they would have liked,” Stearns said. “Brett had a really hot spring training and we saw the type of potential and quality at-bats he had. For him, it’s just getting back to that approach and seeing some results. That’s a big part of it at the major league level. You’re gonna need to see some results to get that confidence back.” 

Baty’s struggles come after he slumped last season after winning the starting job at third base and then lost the spot to Mark Vientos — who, like Baty and Acuña, has gotten off to an ugly start at the plate. 

“If we can have some hits fall for both those guys, hopefully we can get one of them on a roll here,” Stearns said. 

And he made it clear he’d prefer to see one of them take control of second base for now. 

“I’d love to see one of them take advantage of the at-bats and perform,” Stearns said. “That’s what someone like Mark Vientos did last year when he got an opportunity and solidified a spot at the major league level. You’d love to see that from young players. I also understand it can’t always happen at the exact moment we want it to.” 

Stearns said he has been pleased with both players on defense, noting Baty has adjusted to the new position faster than anticipated, considering his lack of playing time there, even in the minors. 

Whenever McNeil does come back, one of them is likely headed back to Triple-A Syracuse. 

“For both these guys, if one of them does find their way back to the minor leagues at some point when we get fully healthy, there are gonna be other opportunities,’’ Stearns said. “We know that through whatever occurrence, they are gonna find their way back to the big leagues and get another shot. But I would love to see one or both of them perform at a really high level before we have to make those decisions and prove they’re going to really contribute throughout the course of a year.” 

Mendoza has to figure out how to get the most out of the spot in the lineup, which meant he went with the righty-swinging Acuña on Monday, even though Miami started right-hander Valente Bellozo.