If you had told any Mets fan that the team’s first homestand would end with five wins in six games, they’d take it in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop a wave of rightful complaints from washing across the Mets universe following the team’s 5–0 loss to the Miami Marlins.

Most of those frustrations center on three positions: center field, third base, and second base. More specifically, five players: Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, Mark Vientos, Jose Siri, and Tyrone Taylor.

Let’s break it down.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Second Base: Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña

Where to begin?

Every Mets fan is rooting hard for Baty. A homegrown, lefty bat with power? Absolutely. This Spring, it looked like we were finally going to see it. Baty posted one of the highest OPS marks not just on the team but in the entire Grapefruit League – a 1.186 OPS with a .353 average and four home runs in 51 at-bats. He made the Opening Day roster without leaving much doubt.

In the 12 games since, that dominance has evaporated. In 27 at-bats, Baty has just three hits and 11 strikeouts. His bat speed remains elite, but that’s about it.

What’s clearly been an issue is his eye. He ranks near the bottom of the league in barrel percentage, walk rate, and strikeout rate. He’s not seeing the ball well, and time is running short for that to change.

“He will continue to work hard,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “We will continue to support him. We will continue to give him opportunities. He’s got to fight through it.”

Acuña, the Mets’ No. 7 prospect, hasn’t fared much better. He’s batting .158 with a .449 OPS in 21 at-bats. The sample size is small, but the struggles are real. That said, Acuña brings plus speed and solid defense to the table – and unlike Baty, his walk rate is much more promising.

Still, with Jeff McNeil expected to return soon, the window is closing for both Baty and Acuña to prove they belong in the everyday lineup.

Third Base: Mark Vientos

Welcome to the sophomore slump.

After a productive 2024 season where he posted an OPS north of .800, Vientos has struggled out of the gate in 2025.

The issue? He’s just not squaring the ball up. Both his barrel rate and average exit velocity have fallen off significantly – more than 20 percentage points lower than last season. In nearly 50 at-bats, he has just two extra-base hits. His expected slugging (xSLG) and expected batting average (xBA) are both in the league’s bottom half.

Vientos’ defense remains below average, so his value hinges almost entirely on his power. Last year, he slugged .516. This year? Just .167 through the first 12 games.

Still, hitting is streaky, and Vientos has earned a longer leash thanks to his performance last year. He also made some nice plays in the field during yesterday’s game – hopefully a sign his confidence is coming around.

Center Field: Tyrone Taylor and José Siri

Tyrone Taylor needs to draw a walk. Just one. He hasn’t yet, which is surprising given his decent contact skills. Through 26 at-bats, he’s among the bottom quartile in both whiff and strikeout rates, and yet, he has zero walks.

The good news? Taylor is consistent. He’s finished around a .700 OPS in both 2023 and 2024. He just needs to start seeing the ball better and get on base.

As for Siri – yes, his batting average is an abysmal .054, but no one expected him to be a high-average guy. That’s never been his game. Siri was brought in for his elite center field defense, speed, and the occasional moonshot.

Unfortunately, the power hasn’t shown up yet, either. He has just one hit in 20 at-bats.

This isn’t new territory for Siri. He hit under .200 for both April and May last year before breaking out in June with six home runs. The Mets don’t need him to hit .250. They need him to flash the leather, steal some bags, and smash a ball to space now and then.

In the end, it’s still early, but in a division as tight as the NL East, “early” can become “too late” pretty quickly. The talent is there for all these players – now it’s just a matter of who steps up first.