Mark Vientos, Photo by Herm Card

It is finally happening. Just like that famous Michael Scott Gif, Mets fans will have a similar reaction to the news that highly-regarded prospect Mark Vientos has earned a call-up to the big leagues.

Per Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Mets have finally delivered the masses what they have long wanted by bringing up Vientos to the majors. It is a move that is long overdue in the eyes of many, and it is a move that makes a lot of sense for a team that has seen its offense fall off a cliff in recent weeks.

Having scored a total of just seven runs in four losses to some of the worst teams in baseball over the last week, coupled with dealing with injuries, the Mets are in need of a real offensive spark and a hot bat that can inject some much-needed power into this lineup down the stretch.

Vientos could be that guy.

Vientos, who is currently the No. 7 overall prospect in the Mets farm system, has been raking all year for Triple-A Syracuse and he earned a place at the 2022 Futures Game because of his electric exploits at the plate. He has harnessed his plus-power this year and has emerged as a big bat that can wreak absolute destruction from anywhere in the lineup.

In 101 games at Triple-A, Vientos has slashed .280/.358/.519 with a .877 OPS. He has 24 home runs and 72 RBI to go along with 16 doubles, one triple, and 44 walks. Vientos’ raw power was on display for Syracuse yet again on Friday as he absolutely blasted a moonshot to dead center. It was an absolute bomb of a home run that nearly cleared the batter’s eye. Vientos boasts raw, scary power that just makes you want to drool and his latest long ball on Friday was too much for the Mets to ignore.

Granted, there are defensive concerns when it comes to Vientos. His play in the field and his glove are seen as the weakest parts of his game, and he was taken off of third-base completely by Syracuse. His deficiencies in the field have been the main driving forces behind why the Mets have resisted the urge to call up one of their most promising and productive prospects to the majors, but Vientos’ pure power makes him a perfect option for the DH spot.

With Darin Ruf struggling to hit at all – he’s currently slashing .208/.310/.351 – Vientos can fill in at DH in a platoon role with Daniel Vogelbach, who is also in a slump having hit just .148/.288/.295 over the last 28 days. Vientos can absolutely tear the cover off the ball, and his call-up now means Vogelbach can heal properly from a tweaked hamstring and it would take an ineffective hitter in Ruf out of the lineup.

Overall, the Mets had simply run out of excuses when it came to calling up Vientos. With their big hitters in Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor all in ruts at the plate, Vientos will inject some much-needed power into a lineup that has missed a big bat in recent weeks. By using Vientos as a DH and allowing him to just focus on doing what he does best by hitting long ball after long ball, the Mets may well have just found the answer to sparking the rest of their offense into life.