The 2025 Mets have often been compared to the 2024 Mets, especially during this extended losing stretch for New York. Most of what has been labeled missing is ethereal, whether it’s the “OMG vibes”, J.D. Martinez‘s tutelage to the other hitters, or the ability to come back off the mat in the late innings. But one thing that’s objective is Mark Vientos‘s offensive downturn in 2025. At least in August, the calendar is looking like 2024 for Vientos.

The Mets’ slugger homered Sunday in his third straight at-bat, going back to Saturday night’s win against the Braves. The two runs he drove in were the entirety of the team’s offense for the first eight innings, but it was another positive sight for Vientos, who made his third start of the season at first base.

Keith Hernandez, who almost exclusively preaches the virtues of hitting the ball the other way, has noted on the SNY broadcast that Vientos has done a better job of getting the bat head out and pulling the ball lately. The numbers suggest that this is the way for Vientos to help the Mets.

Vientos’ pull percentage is down 1.6% this year. And while his percentage of balls in the air is up by nearly five percent, his batted balls in the air to the opposite way is up by five percent as well.

His quality of contact has also suffered in 2025, compared to last year. While his xBA is up to .254 from .246 in 2024, his xSLG is down to .426 from .463. Of note, he hasn’t found success against the four-seamer in 2025. In 2024, he had a 13 run value against the pitch, tied for seventh-best in baseball. In 2025, he has a zero run value against the pitch.

And that can be pointed specifically to his barrel percentage, which is the rate at which balls are hit in the optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle. Vientos’ barrel percentage is down from 14.1%, which was 92nd percentile in 2024, to 10.2% in 2025, which is in the 62nd percentile.

Now, with differences like that, one might think that Vientos must also be striking out a lot more, that more than just quality of contact is coming into play. That simply isn’t true.

His strikeout rate in 2024 was 29.7%, which was in the bottom eight percent of MLB. This year, Vientos is striking out at a rate of 22.9%, by far the lowest of his career. Partnered with a sprint speed in the 18th percentile, Vientos has already grounded into two more double plays than last year, in 90 fewer at-bats.

All can be forgiven if Vientos continues to mash the way he has in August. With the Mets in the midst of the stretch run and holding on for a postseason berth, they need this version of Swaggy V now more than ever. He is currently slugging .611 this month, which is nearly 200 points higher than he has in any other month this year. Vientos is in the midst of a seven-game hit streak after finishing up an 11-game hit streak earlier in August. Five of his 12 home runs have come in August, as well as a quarter of his doubles.

After hitting .234/.285/.372 with seven home runs, 31 RBIs and an 85 wRC+ through the end of July, Vientos is slashing .259/.276/.611 with five home runs, 12 RBIs and a 130 wRC+ in August.

Hopefully for Vientos and the Mets, the run will continue into September and hopefully October. Vientos became the Mets’ best hitter in the postseason last year, and if he can return to some semblance of that, the Mets’ fortunes can only get better.