The Mets’ 2022 offense was relentless, continually piling up hits and scoring runs without a ton of home runs.
The approach worked for much of the season but fell short in the playoffs, when a lack of punch was glaring.
On Thursday night, Brett Baty demonstrated that he might be part of the solution to diversifying — and powering — the Mets’ bats.
Baty, who launched 19 home runs in 95 minor league games last year, crushed his first of his major league season during a 9-8 win over the Nationals at Citi Field.
The 23-year-old blasted Triple-A pitching to begin this campaign but started slowly upon a call-up, going 2-for-13 in his first four games.
Baty has gone 7-for-15 since, which included a spotless game on a night just about all the Mets’ bats broke out.
“He keeps grinding,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He’s a competitive guy and doesn’t let things snowball on him.”
Baty went 3-for-3 with a walk — his first three-hit game of his short career — and launched a 400-foot home run in the fourth that broke a 1-1 tie.
Against a slow curve from former Met Trevor Williams, Baty golfed a home run to right-center.
He did not know if he got enough of it because “nothing really flies out to center,” he said. But his strength proved important on a night many balls from both teams died on the warning track.
Baty, who has posted a .387 on-base percentage in his first nine games of the season, was happiest that he was selective at the plate.
“That’s huge for me. I’ve always been about swinging at the right pitches because I feel like if I swing at the right pitches, I do damage in the zone,” Baty said. “That’s what I was doing tonight.”
He added two singles and has reached base safely in eight of his nine games this season.
“I love watching him hit,” said Jeff McNeil, who contributed the game-winning, RBI triple. “He’s a very professional hitter. We all know he can swing the bat.”
Catcher Francisco Alvarez was lifted in the ninth inning after taking two backswings to the head.
The game briefly stopped in the fifth inning, when Washington’s Jeimer Candelario followed through and hit Alvarez in the side of his masked head.
Alvarez fell to the dirt, talked with a trainer and Showalter for a moment, and remained in the game at that point.
“Everything checked out fine,” said Showalter, who said he thinks Alvarez will be available Friday.
Tomas Nido replaced Alvarez.
The Mets’ shorthanded rotation is taking steps toward health.
Carlos Carrasco, who has a small bone chip in his elbow, threw his first bullpen session since hitting the injured list on April 18 with what the club has called right elbow inflammation.
After that encouraging development Thursday, the Mets hope there will be another Friday, when Justin Verlander is scheduled to start (and, they hope, finish) a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton.
With Max Scherzer, who is serving his sticky-substance suspension, likely slotting back into the rotation Monday at Citi Field against the Braves, the Mets appear close to at least partly patching back together their rotation.
Carrasco will have to build back up and continue to test his elbow, and Jose Quintana (left rib fracture), likely out for at least the first half of the season, remains far away from rejoining the club.
Carrasco, who received an injection for his elbow last week, had been shut down from throwing for several days. The right-hander threw on the field Wednesday for the first time since sustaining the injury and moved to the bullpen mound Thursday.
“Good work day today, that went well,” Showalter said of Carrasco, whose next step will either be a side session or another bullpen session.
Verlander, sidelined with a teres major strain, is expected to throw about four innings against the Akron RubberDucks before debuting with the Mets in Detroit next week. With rain expected Friday night, Binghamton’s game has been moved up for a 1 p.m. start.
If all goes well, Scherzer will have already rejoined the rotation when Verlander debuts. Scherzer, who was ejected from a game April 19 and subsequently suspended, threw a four-inning sim game Wednesday.
Without four-fifths of their projected rotation, the Mets have had to rely upon Tylor Megill, David Peterson, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto.
The Mets placed Adam Ottavino on the paternity list after the righty threw an inning in Wednesday’s loss.
Righty Denyi Reyes was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse as the corresponding move.
Dennis Ribant, who pitched for the Mets from 1964-66, died earlier this week in California, the Mets announced. Ribant was 81.
The right-hander appeared in 72 games (34 starts) with the Mets and compiled a 13-17 record with seven saves and a 3.68 ERA.
