Mark Vientos put together quite an impressive season in 2022, starring for the Syracuse Mets before earning a major league call-up in early September. His efforts were rewarded on Monday when he was named to the International League All-Star team as the representative for the third base position.
Vientos, the Mets’ second-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, struggled out of the gate this year but quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier hitters, posting an impressive .280/.358/.519 slash line with 24 homers and 72 RBI across 101 games. The 22-year-old led Syracuse in hits (106), batting average (.280), on-base percentage (.538), and slugging (.519) while finishing just shy of the team lead in nearly every other statistical category.
Vientos has had an OPS of at least .877 in three of his last four full minor league seasons, and he has demonstrated exceptional power with 76 career homers. He has risen quickly through the ranks of the minor leagues and has become one of the Mets’ most pro-ready hitting prospects.
Vientos was a candidate for making the major league roster throughout the 2022 season, and he finally got his chance on September 11, serving primarily as a right-handed DH option and a pinch hitter down the stretch. Vientos slugged his first career major league homer on September 24 against the Oakland Athletics, and he finished his brief stint with the big-league club hitting .167 with a .546 OPS in 16 games.
The biggest question mark with Vientos has always been his defense, as he is a bat-first prospect that has shuffled between the corner infield positions as well as spending some time in left field. Vientos may have a shot at making the major league roster for the start of the 2023 season, serving as a bench bat and occasional designated hitter. If that is not in the cards, Vientos could also start the 2023 season back at Syracuse, where he would have the chance to continue honing his craft before his next opportunity with the Mets.
