Mets' Brett Baty embracing utility role, but recent moves indicate he has competition

Mets infielder Brett Baty has added defensive versatility since being sent to Triple-A Syracuse last May.

Since then, the natural third baseman has picked up playing time at second base and outfield. At some point in big league camp, he’ll add shortstop to his skillset too — anything to increase his chances of returning to the big leagues.

“If I’m the utility man, then that’d be awesome,” Baty told reporters. “Just any spot on this team, to help the team win, I’m for.”

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In Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Baty played seven innings at second base. He fielded four grounders cleanly, recording outs to first basemen Pete Alonso and then Jared Young.

After the game, the Mets announced their first set of cuts from big league camp, reassigning 13 players to the minors. Among those were top prospects Jett Williams, Brandon Sproat, Blade Tidwell and Ryan Clifford.

One name not on the list of 13 players is infielder Luisangel Acuña, who has added third base to his infield skillset. Acuña can also play second base, shortstop and outfield.

Infielder Nick Madrigal’s season-ending shoulder injury created a battle for the final spot on the Mets' bench, which will go to a utility player. Where last season Baty prevailed over Mark Vientos for the third base job in camp, this time, he’s up against Acuña for the utility spot.

Acuña shined when called up last September to fill in for shortstop Francisco Lindor, who was battling a back injury. In 14 games, he went 12-for-39 (.308 batting average) with six extra-base hits, including three home runs.

It earned him a spot on the postseason roster, where he mostly served as a late defensive replacement.

In Grapefruit League games, Baty has been superior to Acuña, going 8-for-18 (.444 batting average) with two home runs. His ability to play shortstop will play a major role in the team’s decision to carry him on the 26-man roster.

Acuña has struggled in six spring games, going 2-for-13 (.154 batting average) with two stolen bases. He has proven he can play third, a position he hasn’t played professionally until spring training.

With a little over three weeks remaining in Grapefruit League play, this will be one of the more interesting roster battles to watch. Both players are on equal footing options-wise, so it’ll come down to who’s better.

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Manny Gómez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.