New York Mets Dominican prospect Anthony Baptist suspended for lying about his age

The Dominican player of the New York Mets, Anthony Baptist, has been suspended by Major League Baseball (MLB) after it was discovered that he had lied about his age to reach the Major Leagues.

According to reports from sports journalist Mike Rodríguez and other MLB sources, “Baptist’s signing bonus was $1.1 million. It was announced in January 2023, when the outfielder’s reported age was 17″, indicates Mike Rodríguez in his X account.

The Mets suspended Baptist for lying about his date of birth as well as his ID. Until now, the duration of the sanction that the Dominican player must serve is unknown.

By hiding their true age, prospects seek to obtain greater benefits in the minor leagues, by having a more advanced development than the rest of the players.

In 2023, Baptist was playing in the Rookie category, where he left an average of .276, had 29 hits, 2 home runs, 16 RBIs, scored 29 runs, received 25 walks and struck out 29 times in 105 at-bats.

Last year, a total of 18 players signed with the New York Mets. Among them was Anthony Baptist, who received a $1.1 million bonus after reporting his age as 17 at the time. Now, his future in the Major Leagues is in jeopardy, pending decisions.

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