LNG

Brett Baty, IF

Edit player ✎
FanGraphs → MLB →

Scouting report

The gap created by the lack of a 2020 season makes it somewhat more difficult to evaluate a prospect like Baty, who was a full two years older than other, younger high schoolers picked in his draft. Because of his age and size, which portends an eventual move to first base in the eyes of many scouts on both the amateur and pro side, this is the type of prospect for whom statistical performance is rather important. In this case, we have very little of that. Baty showed advanced feel to hit as a prepster, then struck out a ton against age-appropriate Appy League pitching in 2019. He spent 2020 at the alternate site and instructs, then got some run during 2021 spring training. Not only has Baty kept his body in check but it's actually better now than it was in high school. It gives him a better chance of staying at third base for a while but he's just so huge that I still think he'll ultimately end up playing first base. Video analysis of Baty at the alt site and in 2021 spring training, as well as a scout source's in-person look during the fall, indicate this is a guy with limited barrel precision, and that most of his offensive output is going to come from his advanced feel for the strike zone and light tower power. It's hard to say someone is tracking like a three true outcomes type of hitter when there's almost no statistical evidence to support that, but that's indeed what the visual reports on Baty suggest we're about to see. (Alternate site, Fall Instructional League)