Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

The Mets signed Baez for just $275,000 out of the Dominican Republic in January 2022 – well behind the club’s top signing of Simon Juan at $1.9 million – but he became a standout quickly. The right-handed slugger won the organization’s Dominican Summer League Player of the Year award after slashing .242/.341/.403 with seven homers over 54 games on the international complex circuit, and many had high hopes as he arrived stateside. Instead, Baez hit just .210/.306/.333 with two long balls in 40 games in the Florida Complex League, resulting in a 71 wRC+, though he was one of only 25 players aged 18 or younger to get at least 160 plate appearances on the loop. He was in the midst of a breakout 2024 season in which he climbed from Single-A to High-A when he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee in early July, an injury that resulted in season-ending surgery.

Baez is listed at a stout 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, and while he has shown some in-game power in the Minors thanks to impressive bat speed, he still stands out most for the pop that should come in time. The slugging ability has mostly been to the pull side through the early stages of his career, although he showed improvements up the middle in ’23. His sharp drop in batting average stemmed, in part, from a .245 BABIP that should normalize over larger samples. It was notable that Baez dropped his K rate from 21.2 percent in the DSL to 17.5 percent in the FCL while keeping a healthy walk rate.

Still, Baez is a below-average runner unlikely to beat out ground balls for singles, so he’ll need to rely on loud, elevated contact to improve his offensive numbers. He split time up the middle between shortstop and second base in 2023, but his size, lack of speed and plus arm strength all point to a future at third, where he got a decent amount of time before the knee injury.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Bigger hype surrounded Simon Juan ($1.9 million) and Willy Fañas ($1.5 million) as part of the Mets’ 2022 international signings, yet it’s Baez -- a $275,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic -- who has claimed the early spotlight. He certainly seized it by homering twice in his professional debut on June 6, and though his offensive production slowed as the season went on, he was still the Mets’ Dominican Summer League Player of the Year after finishing with a .242/.341/.403 line, seven homers and a 103 wRC+ over 54 games.

The power potential from the right-handed slugger is no joke, his tremendous raw power is already translating to games. It's best right now on his pullside, where he hit 56.3 percent of his batted balls in 2022, so it’s worth wondering how the overall bat will play once more advanced arms try going heavy on the outside part of the plate against Baez. Still, his power is a great building block, and considering he stands just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds entering his age-18 season, there’s hope the slugging ability could grow to plus by the time he’s ready for the big leagues.

Baez is an average runner at this early stage of his career, but if he does fill out as expected, he’s likely to lose a step. That would hurt his case to stick at shortstop, and the Mets have already moved him around the dirt with looks at second and third. His plus arm strength profiles best at the hot corner, and his slugging ability fits well there too.

Scouting report: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Simon Juan ($1.9 million) and Willy Fañas ($1.5 million) were the Mets’ big international signings back in January, but don’t sleep on Baez ($275,000) coming out of the Dominican Republic. The 17-year-old got off to a loud start in the Dominican Summer League by homering twice in his pro debut on June 6. His overall offensive production slowed a touch as the summer has worn on, but Baez’s introduction to the Minors has been enough to place him even more squarely on New York’s radar.

Baez’s two-homer beginning was no fluke, as he already shows tremendous raw power to his pull side. At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, he has more projection remaining, too, and he could end up with plus in-game power by the time he reaches the Majors. That said, his approach is pull-heavy right now, leading to questions about how the overall bat will play against higher-level pitching. A solid walk rate helped buoy his DSL numbers and could be a strength the higher he climbs.

A decent runner for now, Baez has been focused on shortstop in the DSL, but he isn’t likely to be better than average at that position. He has sprinkled in some time at second and third base, and the hot corner appears to be his long-term home, especially if he fills out and loses a tick of speed. His plus arm will certainly play there. A long runway remains for Baez before he can count on seeing the dirt in Flushing, but the tools are already enticing enough to dream of who he could be when he arrives a few years down the line.

Awards

FSL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/04/2024	Brooklyn Cyclones activated SS Jesus Baez from the 60-day injured list.
	07/30/2024	Brooklyn Cyclones transferred SS Jesus Baez from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
	07/05/2024	Brooklyn Cyclones placed SS Jesus Baez on the 7-day injured list.
	06/24/2024	SS Jesus Baez assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.
	03/31/2024	SS Jesus Baez assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.
	03/08/2024	SS Jesus Baez assigned to New York Mets.
	03/07/2024	New York Mets Prospects activated SS Jesus Baez.
	06/04/2023	SS Jesus Baez assigned to FCL Mets.
	03/10/2023	SS Jesus Baez roster status changed by New York Mets.
	03/10/2023	SS Jesus Baez assigned to New York Mets.
	07/13/2022	2B Manuel Guance, SS Jesus Baez and OF Dyron Campos assigned to DSL Mets 1 from DSL Mets 2.
	06/04/2022	SS Jesus Baez assigned to DSL Mets 2.
	01/15/2022	New York Mets signed free agent SS Jesus Baez to a minor league contract.