The Mets are set to play a doubleheader today after last night’s game between the Mets and Red Sox was suspended due to inclement weather that persisted well after the game was originally delayed. The game will resume at 2:10 p.m. ET, while the game originally scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET will be pushed back to 7:10 p.m. ET.

The game will resume in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and nobody on, with the Mets holding a 4-3 lead. The Mets’ four runs scored on a pair of two-run blasts by Brandon Nimmo and Daniel Vogelbach.

Latest Mets News

The Mets officially announced that they recalled Mark Vientos to the major league roster, taking the place of Starling Marte who was placed on the injured list.

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Latest MLB News

The Cardinals traded reliever Génesis Cabrera to the Blue Jays for minor-league catching prospect Sammy Hernandez. Cabrera has pitched to a 5.06 ERA in 32 innings for the Cardinals this season.

Yankees catcher Jose Trevino will undergo season-ending wrist surgery. Trevino said he expects to be ready to go for spring training in 2024.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the chances of Tim Anderson being traded are increasing. Anderson has been swinging the bat well since the All-Star break after having a dreadful first half of the season.

Morosi also reported that there is a lot of trade interest in Kerry Carpenter of the Tigers, but rival executives expect him to remain in Detroit.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Michael Mayer highlighted impressive performances by Ronny Mauricio and Jett Williams.

Michael Famulari recapped José Quintana‘s debut as a Met.

Jack Markowski wrote about the continued struggles of Pete Alonso.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Rob Johnson (41), Jesse Hudson (75)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Set For Doubleheader After Rainout appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Richard Nelson

Good morning, Mets fans!

General manager Billy Eppler spoke on Friday about Mark Vientos and why he has not been called up to the major league club yet despite a scorching hot start in Triple-A. Eppler noted that there are several factors that play into it such as Vientos’ development and usage, but said a potential promotion is “definitely on our radar and something we’re thinking about.” Eppler said that he is sending Carlos Beltrán to Syracuse to supposedly watch Vientos play and to provide feedback. In 116 plate appearances this year in Syracuse, Vientos is batting .354/.431/.717/1.148 with nine home runs, nine doubles, and 26 RBIs.

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Rockies 1-0 on Friday night with the help of strong performances from Kodai Senga, who threw six scoreless innings, and Brandon Nimmo, who drove in the only run of the game with a solo homer. Prior to the game, Edwin Díaz received his 2022 NL Reliever of the Year Award.

Former Met Matt Harvey announced his retirement from baseball on Friday. In parts of six seasons with the Mets, Harvey compiled a 34-37 record and a 3.66 ERA with a dominant stretch from 2012-2015 in which he was 25-18 with a 2.53 ERA.

Edwin Díaz received his 2022 NL Reliever of the Year Award prior to tonight’s game 🎺 pic.twitter.com/D32RarSQzG

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 5, 2023

Latest MLB News

Keith Law ranked his top 50 prospects in this year’s MLB draft.

Per the Astros, pitcher Luis Garcia will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Sam Blum of The Athletic reported that Angels’ pitcher Austin Warren will also undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari analyzed the season debut of Justin Verlander.

Chris Bello wrote about Matt Harvey‘s decision to retire.

Tyler Antonelle recapped Friday night’s victory over the Rockies.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Mike Kinkade (50), Willie Mays (92)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Thinking About Potential Vientos Promotion appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The New York Mets announced on Saturday evening that they have optioned infielders Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to Triple-A.

With the Mets set to play their final spring training game on Sunday, we should start seeing a slew of roster cuts as Opening Day draws ever closer.

That process has now started with Baty and Vientos both being sent down.

It probably won’t prove popular that Baty has been optioned to Triple-A given the dominant spring he enjoyed. There were many who felt strongly that the rookie should start the 2023 MLB season as the Mets’ third baseman over veteran Eduardo Escobar.

There were also multiple reports that suggested Vientos had a better chance of sticking around in the majors than Baty, but both will have to begin the year in the minors and hope to get a call-up to the bigs sooner rather than later.

“They’re a phone call away,” Mets general manager Billy Eppler said. “They don’t need something to happen at the Major League level. They have the type of talent where they can push their way up here. There’s still some development objectives to reach. You’ve got to think about the long game. We have to think about the 162 games we’re going to play over 183 days. We’re not positioning a roster for a three-game series only. We’re positioning the roster to manage all the way through September and into October.”

It is somewhat surprising that Baty won’t begin the year on the Major League roster given how much of a tear he had been on throughout spring training. The lefty bat hit .325/.460/.425/.885 with one double, one homer, six RBIs, two stolen bases and eight walks. He was electric at the plate and also came through in the clutch on countless occasions.

Furthermore, while the biggest mark against Baty was his defense at the hot corner, he showed tangible signs of improvement in that department throughout spring, making both routine and highlight-reel plays with ease and showing that he was becoming more and more comfortable at third base defensively with every game he played.

Therefore, given his ability to absolutely rake at the plate coupled with his improving defense, there was a very strong argument to be made that Baty proved at the very least he deserved to be in a platoon at third base with Escobar, with the chance to eventually win the job full-time.

“It was a tough decision,” Eppler said when asked about Baty specifically. “The coaching staff and the front office staff had a pretty long meeting (on Saturday morning), we walked through a lot of different combinations, went around the room and the consensus of the room was that it was best to have him start in Triple-A. One of the things we talked about is that with Brett, we think he’s got a chance to be an above-average regular player at the Major League level for a championship-caliber team.

“And, so, that has you start looking back a little bit and looking at players like Nolan Arenado. Nolan was a High School Draft, like Brett, and he played over 400 games at third base in the minor leagues, Rafael Devers, who was an International Signing, played 310 games at third base and Austin Riley who played 430 games at third base. You learn by playing a lot and, while Brett had a great camp and we’re really excited about his future, there’s still some development markers left for him to reach. He’ll go down and probably carry a lot that he consumed here into Triple-A and we’re really excited about his future, the type of kid he is, what he does in the batters box and also the strides he’s made defensively.”

It appears clear that the powers that be at Citi Field believe Baty needs more seasoning, and he would be better off continuing to learn his craft in the minors rather than getting reps in the majors. While some may question that logic, Eppler expanded on the improvements he wants to continue to see from Baty.

“Just continuing to get tested in different game situations,” Eppler said. “Learning the speed, when to give ground, when to take ground. Just being put in different types of circumstances, different types of situations.”

Vientos also had a solid spring after slashing .278/.310/.481/.792 with five doubles, two homers and 11 RBIs with three walks. Given his ability to mash at the plate, there was some suggestion that the righty would be a good option to provide some offense from the designated hitter position. Especially given Darin Ruf’s struggles this spring.

Like Baty, Vientos showed outstanding strides in his development throughout spring training, but he too will now look to impress at Triple-A before hopefully earning a call-up back to the majors.

The Mets also announced that they have reassigned LHP Zach Muckenhirn, RHP Denyi Reyes, catcher Michael Pérez, INF Jonathan Araúz, INF José Peraza and outfielder DJ Stewart to minor league camp.

The post Brett Baty, Mark Vientos Optioned To Triple-A appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mark Vientos. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Saturday evening at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the New York Mets lost 10-7 to the Washington Nationals after holding a lead going into the bottom of the seventh. John Curtiss took the mound for the Mets, replacing Kodai Senga, who was scratched after he injured his finger in between starts.

The Mets were the first team to score in the heavily offensive matchup . Tim Locastro opened the game with a single to center field and advanced to third base after Brett Baty singled. Then — with runners on the corners and Daniel Vogelbach up to bat — Locastro scored on a passed ball allowed by Keibert Ruiz to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

With the Mets up by one, Curtiss — who is fighting for one of the remaining spots in the Mets’ bullpen — took the mound in the top of the first. He struck out two batters over his only inning of work, raising his spring strikeout total to eight over four innings. Curtiss has yet to allow a run in spring training and continues to fight his way onto the opening-day roster.

After a scoreless effort behind Curtiss, the Mets’ offense added another run in the bottom of the second. With DJ Stewart on third and Tomás Nido on first, Jose Peraza came up to the plate. He grounded out to third base to drive in Stewart, increasing the Mets’ lead to 2-0.

However, the Nationals wasted no time and responded quickly to the Mets’ offensive barrage. T.J. McFarland — who relieved Curtiss — found himself in early trouble after allowing a single to Luis Garcia and a walk to Jeter Downs. Matt Adams capitalized on the opportunity, doubling to the opposite field to tie the game at two.

Both offenses traded outs until the Mets retook the lead in the top of the fifth. Facing Thad Ward, the Mets loaded the bases behind two walks and a single by Vogelbach. Stewart — who already recorded a hit in the game — came up clutch, driving in two runs with a single to give the Mets a 4-2 lead. With runners on third and second after the Stewart single, Mark Vientos added two more runs with a single of his own to give the Mets a 6-2 lead.

The Nationals responded quickly once again, adding two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fifth. Facing Zach Greene — who has struggled with the Mets in spring training after being picked up in the Rule 5 Draft, — CJ Abrams reached second base after he singled and stole a base. After Alex Call walked, Ruiz doubled to left field to advance Call to third and cut the Nationals’ deficit to 6-3. The Nationals didn’t stop there, getting another run before the end of the inning when Garica grounded-out to Ronny Mauricio to further cut the deficit to 6-4.

With newfound momentum, the Nationals kept adding on in the bottom of the sixth. Adams hit his second double of the game off David Griffin, setting the stage for the bottom of the Nationals’ lineup. Leonel Valera followed Adams with a double of his own, cutting the Mets’ lead to 6-5.

The Mets added their last run of the game in the top of the seventh behind the bats of their top prospects. With Lorenzo Cedrola on first base, Vientos doubled down the line to set New York up for another run-producing inning. Alex Ramírez got the job done, grounding out to second base to score Cedrola to give increase the Mets’ lead to 7-5.

Facing a two-run deficit, the Nationals became their comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Call began the inning with a single, advancing to second after stealing the base and then to third on a fielding error by shortstop Diego Mosquerea. With runners on the corners, Garcia cut the Nationals’ deficit to 7-6 by grounding out to first base.

Now down by one run, the Nationals took over for good in the bottom of the eighth. Stone Garrett singled up the middle with one out in the inning, setting up the Nationals’ big inning. Jacob Young and Armando Cruz followed two consecutive doubles, giving the Nationals an 8-7 lead. With Cruz standing on second, Trey Lipscomb homered to left field to increase the Nationals’ lead to 10-7.

The Mets had a couple of runners reach base in the top of the ninth against Matt Cronin but failed to score in the inning. The final score read 10-7 in favor of Washington. José Chacin was charged with the loss for the Mets after allowing four earned runs in one inning of work. His ERA in spring now sits at 60.75.

Mark Vientos. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game

Vientos had a stellar game in the Mets’ 10-7 loss to the Nationals. The Mets’ top prospect went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a double. Vientos is hitting .333 in spring training with two home runs and a .959 OPS. He is fighting for an opening-day roster spot but is currently blocked by Darin Ruf and Tommy Pham.

On Deck

The Mets’ next game is Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The game is in Port St. Lucie and will take place at 1:10 PM ET. The starters for Sunday’s game are projected to be Carlos Carrasco and Luis Patiño. Fans can catch the game on WPIX, WCBS 880, and WDAE.

The post Mark Vientos Thrives In Mets’ 10-7 Loss To Nationals appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Mark Vientos came into spring training with the goal of making the Opening Day roster for the New York Mets. His individual performance on Saturday, March 4 against the Miami Marlins is just another example of what he is capable of. Vientos hit two home runs as the Mets went onto to win 15-4.

The number eight prospect in the Mets’ system connected on his first home run in the top of the fourth inning, launching the ball to deep center field to drive in two runs. Vientos did it again in the following inning, hitting another ball to dead center in the top of the fifth inning that drove in three more. His second home run of the day got out at 111 MPH, showing how violent his swing can be when he gets it right.

Vientos can’t be stopped today!! 🔥⚾️ pic.twitter.com/5auLhKY4Rh

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 4, 2023

Despite a slow start in spring, Vientos is now hitting .333 with seven hits, two home runs, and an OPS of 1.047 in 21 at-bats. The sample size is small, but the young Met is stating his case for more opportunities in 2023. Vientos lines up as a potential candidate for at-bats from the designated hitter spot, although he has talked about his teammates’ on his defense.

“I have been working with him (Eduardo Escobar) at third base, Pete (Alonso) at first base. Like I said, he (Escobar) has taken me under his wing. Ever since I got called up last year, all I do with him is listen, listen listen, soak up as much information as possible,” Vientos said.

Vientos is not the only Mets’ prospect who has shined in the early days of spring training. Number two ranked prospect, third baseman Brett Baty, already has six hits in 15 at-bats, including a home run and an OPS of 1.071. The 23-year-old is making a strong case for a much bigger role in the big league team as he prepares for his first full season.

Additionally, number six ranked prospect Ronny Mauricio has been the talk of town thus far, showcasing his power to all fields. The young infielder has five hits and three home runs in 11 at-bats, currently sitting at a staggering 1.864 OPS.

The post Mark Vientos Puts On A Show, Launches Two Home Runs appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The New York Mets took a short drive down to Jupiter, FL. on Saturday afternoon for a matchup against the Miami Marlins. Right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander was on the mound for the visiting Mets for the first time, going up against left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo for the Marlins.

Luzardo started off well for the Marlins, allowing just one hit to Mark Vientos in the top of the first and retiring the other three batters he faced on a pop out and two strikeouts.

Verlander battled through the bottom half of the first. He allowed a quick lead-off single to Luis Arraez. He retired the next two batters he faced, but then gave up an RBI double to Jean Segura that scored the speedy Arraez from first to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the first. Segura was tagged out attempting to leg-out a triple.

The Mets answered right back and put themselves on the board in the second. Abraham Almonte kept his hot-streak alive with a lead-off single to left field. Two batters later, Jaylin Davis singled and moved Almonte to second. With just one out and two runners on, Lorenzo Cedrola sent the ball deep out of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for a three-run home run to give the Mets a 3-1 lead over the Marlins in the top of the second.

Luzardo retired the next two he faced to retire the side, but not before the good guys struck first and the Mets took a lead. Verlander settled in in the second, retiring the Marlins in order on a fly-out, pop-out, and his second strikeout of the afternoon.

The Mets went down quiet in the third as Luzardo retired the first two batters before being relieved on the mound for the Marlins by George Soriano. Soriano grounded out Pete Alonso to end the inning. Verlander looked much more comfortable and showed his true abilities in the third, retiring the Marlins in order and collecting his third strikeout of the afternoon.

The Mets revved up their scoring at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in the fourth inning, driving in six runs on the inning. After the first two runners reached, a throwing error by Soriano allowed Almonte and Jose Peraza to score to extend the Mets’ lead to 5-1 over the Marlins. Davis then walked to continue the inning. After the next two batters were retired, the Marlins went back to their bullpen and brought in Justin Evans to replace Soriano on the mound.

The Mets continued to tee off as Tim Locastro hit an RBI double to left field to score Cedrola and make it a 7-1 game. Vientos then followed with a rocket two-run home run to center field that scored Locastro and extended the Mets’ lead to 8-1. He was followed by Francisco Lindor who doubled to keep the inning alive and Pete Alonso who hit hit an RBI single to bring Lindor across and make it a 9-1 game.

The home run by Vientos went 427 feet at 108.7 mph off the bat. That was his second hit of the afternoon.

The Mets had then batted around as Almonte came back to the plate. For the second time in the inning, he was hit by a pitch. Peraza was then also hit by a pitch to make it four hitters hit by pitches in the inning to load the bases. Davis represented the 12^th Met to come to the plate in the fourth. He struck out to end the inning, but the Mets did plenty of damage and made it a 9-1 game through four innings.

Verlander’s day was done after three innings pitched. His final line read: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 0 BB.

David Peterson came in to relieve Verlander on the mound for the Mets in the fourth. After walking his lead-off batter, he retired the next two batters he faced to retire the side.

The Mets continued to make their offensive performance look like batting practice in the fifth off of Dylan Floro, who replaced Evans on the mound for the Marlins. Cedrola singled to lead-off the inning for his second hit of the afternoon. Three batters later, with two on, Vientos came up and continued to hit like it was the home run derby. He sent a long three-run home run out of the stadium for his second home run of the day and extended the Mets’ lead to 12-1 over the Marlins.

Vientos’ second home run was a monster. He sent it 469 feet at 111 mph. That home run also gave him three hits and five RBIs on the day as he had quite the day in Jupiter and continued to look strong and ready for the regular season.

Peterson came back out to pitch the fifth for the Mets. He continued to pitch well, allowing just one walk and retiring the other three batters he faced to keep it a 12-1 game.

As the game headed into the sixth, many of the Marlins’ regular starters exited the game as per usual for a spring training game-volume. That included Eury Perez replacing Floro on the mound for the Marlins.

Floro retired three of the four batters he faced. He allowed a ground-rule double to Davis, but did not allow any other damage to be done by the Mets. Following suit, most of the Mets’ starters exited the game after five innings played. Jeff Brigham also came in to replace Peterson on the mound for the Mets in the sixth. He retired the Marlins in order to send the game to the seventh.

Floro came back out to pitch the seventh for the Marlins. He retired Brett Baty and Locastro before allowing a single to Ronny Mauricio who was continuing to put the bat on the ball well. Michael Perez flew out to end the inning.

Zach Greene replaced Brigham on the mound for the Mets in the bottom of the seventh. Greene struggled a bit in the inning. He allowed a lead-off double to Bryan De La Cruz, followed by a back-to-back double by Alex De Goti that scored pinch-runner Peyton Burdick to make it a 12-2 game. Two batters later he walked Santiago Chavez followed by a sacrifice fly by Jerar Encarnacion to make it a 12-3 game. He walked Jordan Groshans to put two on and then struck out Jacob Amaya to end the inning.

The Mets continued their home run derby afternoon in the eighth. Matt Winaker opened the inning with a line drive home run to right center field to make it 13-3 Mets. Three batters later Carlos Cortes hit a ground-rule double. He was followed by Cedrola’s second home run of the day, a two-run home run to make it a 15-3 game in the eighth inning. That also gave Cedrola five RBIs as Cedrola and Vientos combined for 10 of the Mets’ 15 runs today.

Alex Ramirez struck out to end the inning and the Mets led it 15-3 going into the bottom of the eighth inning. T.J. McFarland came in to pitch the eighth for the Mets. He gave up two singles to Xavier Edwards and Peyton Burdick, but retired the other three batters he faced. He did throw one wild pitch that made it a 15-4 game, but the Mets still led it large.

Jefry Yan replaced Perez on the mound for the Marlins in the ninth. He retired the Mets in order. In the bottom of the ninth, Jimmy Yacabonis came in to replace McFarland on the Mets. He retired the Marlins in order to close it out and complete the win for the Mets.

The Mets teed-off offensively on Saturday. Cedrola had two home runs, Vientos had two home runs, and Winaker homered as well to lead the Mets to the victory.

Player Of The Game

Spring training is all about young players making a good impression on the front office, and that’s been the general theme for the Mets so far this spring with a number of prospects impressing. It was Mark Vientos’ turn on Saturday as he led an offensive explosion with an impressive day at the plate.

He went a brilliant 3-for-4 with five RBIs, and he also blasted two incredible home runs. His second homer of the day was an absolute moonshot, travelling 469 feet at 111 mph. The Mets have been getting big-time contributions from their top prospects through the opening couple of weeks of spring training, and Vientos delivered a real statement game against the Marlins.

On Deck

The Mets will return to Jupiter tomorrow to take on the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:05pm. Kodai Senga will get the ball for the Mets in his first spring appearance against Jordan Montgomery for the Cardinals, also making his first spring appearance.

The post Vientos Goes Yard Twice As Mets Beat Marlins 15-4 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

Abbey Mastracco of The Daily News is reporting that Mets prospect Mark Vientos could be an option anywhere in the infield. Vientos came with three different fielding gloves to player several different positions and could realistically be another first baseman option behind Alonso and current designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach.

“I’m ready to play in the big leagues every day,” Vientos told The Daily News.

Latest Mets News

Former pitching coach Phil Regan has filed a lawsuit against claiming age discrimination the New York Mets, according to TMZ.

Regan claims he was not hired as the main pitching coach following the 2019 season only because he was 82 at the time. He also alleged former general manager Brodie Van Wagenen called him “too old” and said the team would hire him back in 2020 “if we don’t find the young pitching coach we are looking for.” The Mets hired Jeremy Hefner that following offseason and has been with the team ever since.

Regan was a popular coach with pitchers in the clubhouse and the fanbase back when he was an interim pitching coach back in 2019 after taking over for fired pitching coach Dave Eiland. He turned the pitching staff around after the Eiland firing, dropping the staff’s overall ERA from 4.88 to 3.48 in the second half of the season. Jacob deGrom also won the Cy Young Award that season with the help of Regan.

Following the 2019 season, Regan has not held a role on any ballclub in the Major Leagues, but has served as a pitching coach in the Dominican Winter League.

Former Mets catcher and recent retiree René Rivera will go back to the ballpark, but as the manager for the Frederick Keys. Rivera announced the hiring on his Twitter account. The Frederick Keys are a part of the MLB Draft League. Rivera will serve as the 25th manager in Keys history and the third during the Keys’ MLB Draft League era.

MLB.com‘s Anthony DiComo recently interviewed some Mets players and coaches and asked if they thought first baseman Pete Alonso would be able to hit 60-plus home runs like local New Yorker Aaron Judge. Second baseman Jeff McNeil said Alonso “could do it” and Mets hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said Alonso “absolutely” has the ability to do so.

“That would be awesome to do that,” Alonso said. “But I just want to play my game, take what the game gives me. You’re just hoping for a few extra to fall over the other side of the fence.”

Latest MLB News

Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports reported that New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge will not participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic.

“It would be an honor to represent my country and play in that,” Judge told FOX Sports. “But my main goal is what I can do here in New York and what I can do to bring a championship back here. I think especially after signing a nine-year contract, for me, priorities are New York. Maybe four years down the road, hopefully I can still make the team and get an opportunity to play. But right now for me, my focus is here.”

Judge recently was named the 16th captain in the team’s history and has spent the past six weeks down in Tampa at the Yankees spring training facility. According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, he has been coaching some of the other younger Yankees players and encouraging them to work out with him down there.

The Minnesota Twins are in agreement with free agent infielder Donovan Solano on a one-year, major league contract, pending a physical, a source tells The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal. The 35-year old Solano played 80 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season and hit for a .284 batting average.

Former Mets outfielder Tyler Naquin and the Milwaukee Brewers are in agreement to a minor league contract, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Naquin said in an interview that Daniel Vogelbach and pitcher Hunter Strickland highly recommended signing with the Brewers after splitting the 2022 season with the Reds and Mets.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Soroka spoke this morning and said his hamstring issue is clearing up, according to Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game. Soroka continued throwing at camp today with the next step being running. Soon, Soroka will get on the mound, throw bullpen sessions, then get back into games. The Braves will set a timetable for that soon.

Latest on MMO

Rivka Boord discusses the 2024 opt-out for pitcher Max Scherzer.

Johnluke Chaparro addresses Darin Ruf‘s struggles last season and his recent injury.

On This Date in Mets History

1966: Mets trade three players to the Phillies for Dick Stuart.

Birthdays: Tim Peterson (32), Chris Bassitt (34), Kelly Johnson(41), J.J. Putz (46)

The post Morning Briefing: Mark Vientos Ready To Play All Around Field appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mark Vientos, Photo by James Farrance

No. 5 Mark Vientos, 1B/3B/DH

B/T: R/R     Age: December 11, 1999 (23)
Ht: 6’4″       Wt: 200 lb.
ETA: 2022  Previous Rank: 5
Acquired: Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 June Amateur Draft from American Heritage HS (Plantation, FL)
2022 Stats (Syracuse):.280/.358/.519, 16 2B, 3B, 24 HR, 72 RBI, 2 CS
2022 Stats (MLB): .167/.268/.278, 2B, HR, 3 RBI

There is a common pattern developing in Mark Vientos’ professional career. More and more he answers questions about his deficiencies while continuing to see new questions and doubts emerge about his future. We saw that again in 2022, a year in which Vientos would actually make his Major League debut.

For the first time in his career, Vientos did not take a major leap forward at the plate. The biggest reason why is the strikeouts still plagued him with his having a 28.6 K%. We would also see an uncharacteristically high ground ball and pull rate from him in 2022.

These were issues Vientos had in Single-A before the pandemic and seemed to fix in 2021, but they did re-emerge. However, that should be counter-balanced against Vientos improving his walk rate to 10.3%. This is still a young player working on not just identifying his pitch, but also developing a better understanding of the strike zone.

Behind all of that is his natural power. You can buy into the power, and when Vientos gets a hold of one, he can hit it out of any ballpark. During his brief stint in the majors, we even saw him hit one opposite field in Oakland:

MARK VIENTOS HITS HIS FIRST MAJOR-LEAGUE HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/Y0ca6JAlHW

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 24, 2022

Vientos regularly posts exit velocities in excess of 100 MPH. In fact, during his brief time in the majors, Vientos had an average exit velocity of 93.3 MPH with a high of 111.9 MPH. However, to get the most out of his power, he does need to improve his launch angle and barrel rates. Of course, that is easier said than done.

To that end, Collin Hetzler will be the new Syracuse Mets hitting coach. Hetlzer is formerly of Driveline where he has used advanced data and training tools to improve approach and contact at the plate. He also had a focus on batted ball data and how to improve quality of contact.

As he explained to MMO Weekly, he knows players in Triple-A are a tweak or two away from making it the majors. He also said the organizational philosophy is moving towards focusing on hitting pitches 95 MPH or harder. If you can’t, he’s preaching taking the pitch and working for a walk.

In many ways, this is the next step in Vientos’ development at the plate. He’s progressing towards identifying his pitch and spitting on what he can’t hit. Working more on that could alone help him cut his strike out rate without needing any radical change in his swing and approach, which is something Keith Law of The Athletic warns could lead to a decrease in power.

For Vientos, he has a future in the majors if he can either cut down on the strike outs or create more damage at the plate. The hope is he is going to be better for his experience in the majors and with the new hitting coach. It is going to have to be that way because he will have to be a bat first player if he is going to be a Major Leaguer.

Simply put, Vientos has not improved defensively, and the Mets still do not know where to put him. Shortly after being drafted as a shortstop, he was moved to third. While there has been progress, there simply hasn’t been enough to keep him there long term. Before discussing or even contemplating things he does well there, fact of the matter is Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio are ahead of him defensively at the position, and in reality, Vientos has no real hope of catching them.

For Vientos, his soft hands should play well at first base. The Mets did give him a run there with Syracuse last season, and there was some promising results. Certainly, Vientos has the type of bat which can profile well at the position.

And Mark Vientos solidly handled his first in-game chance at first base. https://t.co/HpHZ2xPcX1 pic.twitter.com/gEik2K9x8z

— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) March 2, 2021

Yes, Vientos would be blocked at first by Pete Alonso, but he’s really blocked at every position. The same goes for DH with Daniel Vogelbach under team control through 2024. Sure, you could argue Vientos could be a platoon option for Vogelbach now and next year, but that is not what is right for his development.

However, we cannot think of Vientos and his path to the majors at the moment. The focus needs to be where he plays best and what he needs to do to even get to the majors. On that front, at each stop in the minors, we have seen Vientos make significant strides to improve, and we need to be cognizant he has been young for his level at each stop. In fact, he was 4.3 years younger than league average last year.

Overall, with Vientos, you have to like the work ethic and ability to make adjustments. There are one or two more to make him ready to be a real threat at the plate at the Major League level no matter what position he plays. Due to injuries, we are likely going to see him in 2023, and he may very well take control of the DH job.

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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.

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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

There was not a lot to be happy about regarding the New York Mets on Saturday evening. New York loss 10-4 in Oakland against the lowly Athletics as their ace, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball (Jacob deGrom), made his worst start since 2019. Furthermore, to make matters worse, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Phillies. So, the Mets’ division lead trimmed back down to just 1.5 games. Though, in all this there was at least one bright spot. That being rookie Mark Vientos.

Vientos, the Mets’ seventh ranked prospect, was renowned for his power prior to his callup. Evidence of this reported power is his 25 minor-league home runs in 2021 and 24 more at the Triple-A level this year before his promotion. The Mets finally got to see the power that led to the 49 long balls the past two seasons during Saturday afternoon’s contest.

First big league homer for @MarkVientos_5! pic.twitter.com/839JYYkQyZ

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 24, 2022

Vientos launched a 394-foot shot to right field that came 106 MPH off the bat. He squared up a 3-1 fastball that caught way too much of the plate and made no mistake in launching it over the fence in the second inning. It was only a matter of time before the American connected on his first career home run given all the power he possesses.

At the time, it was a huge home run for the Mets. It tied the game back up and gave New York some hope. Ultimately, despite the outcome of the game, the most important aspect of the home run is it might just signify Vientos is getting comfortable at the major-league level. This resulting in him potentially becoming a consistent force moving forward. Specifically, the home run, plus the other hit he registered in the game, marked his second and third hits in the 22-year-old’s last two games. Vientos has also walked at least once in his past three contests, which is very encouraging.

The beginning of Vientos’ major-league tenure did not get off on the best foot. He started his career 0-for-10, then found himself in another dry spell before breaking out the past two games. Given the prolonged struggles of Darin Ruf, the Mets desperately need a right-handed bat to emerge and take hold of the designated hitter role when the Mets face left-handed pitching.

Is this just the start of the power-hitting Vientos emerging and grabbing the much-needed role mentioned above? Can he build on his most recent performances? The Mets certainly hope so, as the team is quickly bearing down on what hopes to be a deep October run. Vientos’ emergence, and potential power hitting, would go a long way in ensuring the Mets’ October stay is a longer one.

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