Brett Baty has failed to remain around at the MLB level due of his inconsistency at the plate. It’s difficult to blame former Atlanta Braves catcher and current FOX announcer A.J. Pierzynski for essentially expecting Baty would be an easy out for Chicago Cubs youngster Cade Horton to pick up, considering how well he’s performed as a hitter in the major leagues.
Horton had Baty chase a slider out of the strike zone after a first-pitch ball to get revenge. Pierzynski said that he would strike Baty out with two more breaking pitches after that one. Instead, Baty trimmed the New York Mets’ 4-0 deficit to 4-3 by hitting a breaking ball over the wall in right-center field.
“If he can throw two more breaking balls to Baty…there’s a good chance he’s gonna punch him out,” Pierzynski said.
He’s probably going to want this one returned.
Brett Baty’s huge home run made A.J. Pierzynski look foolish
Once more, it is easy to understand Pierzynski’s viewpoint. Horton’s slider is his finest pitch, and Baty hasn’t accomplished much in his MLB career. According to Baseball Savant, Baty only had one hit in 18 at-bats against breaking pitches this season, along with four strikeouts. This matchup didn’t seem like a good fit for Baty on paper. Nevertheless, he was given a pitch to hit and hit it flawlessly.
Although Baty has had his share of difficulties, most batters are able to take advantage of pitches to hit, like Baty just did. Baty has now gone deep in consecutive games with this home shot, giving Mets supporters optimism that perhaps he has finally discovered what works.
For the sake of Saturday, that one huge swing got the club back into the game, but it remains to be seen if Baty’s newfound power stroke will be reliable enough for him to continue at the MLB level. Mets supporters might express their gratitude to a player they fiercely opposed for clearly jinxing one of the game’s stars if they prevail.
