When the Mets sent Brett Baty down to Triple-A, it created a gap at third base for the foreseeable future. With Baty in Syracuse, Eduardo Escobar long since traded, and Luis Guillorme on the IL, the Mets were down to only veteran Danny Mendick and Mark Vientos as possible options at third.
While Vientos has largely been a DH during his two stints in the majors this season, he got the start at third in Tuesday’s loss to the Cubs, and figures to get several more starts there for the remainder of the season. Vientos’ defense, particularly at the hot corner, has always been a knock against him, but the rest of the 2023 season will present an opportunity for the 23-year-old to prove to the Mets’ brass that he is capable of locking it down should Baty ultimately move to the outfield full time and with Pete Alonso blocking his natural position at first.
At the plate, Vientos has been unable to find a rhythm in any of his three MLB stints between the end of last season and this year, but he has also been in and out of the lineup with little consistency until recently. With the Mets no longer in contention, Vientos is likely to play every day from here on out, providing his best chance yet at replicating his monster numbers from Triple-A.
“Honestly, I’m just focused on showing up to the ballpark, getting better every day. Not really focused on where they’re gonna play me or what opportunity is going to come,” Vientos said ahead of Tuesday’s game, as transcribed by the New York Post.
Mark Vientos. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Vientos picked up a hit in the eighth inning last night but is still slashing only .207/.242/.315 with 2 home runs and 4 doubles in 99 plate appearances. “Trying to learn throughout this process because I’ve been through this in the minor leagues where I’m not playing as well as I would like to,” Vientos said. “You gotta trust your work and trust that you’re gonna break through because it’s only a short period that this happens and then you get comfortable and then you start getting on that roll.”
Vientos is among several young players, including Baty and Ronny Mauricio, that are fighting for a spot on the 2024 Mets. Steve Cohen has said the Mets don’t plan on spending as much this offseason as they had in the past, but it’s yet to be seen if they will feel comfortable entering the season with young players who have not yet found success in MLB penciled in as everyday players.
Vientos certainly has an opportunity to show his value over the final 49 games of the season, both in the field and at the plate. If he shines, he could enter next season as the team’s projected starting DH or even third baseman. If he continues to struggle, his future role in Queens will be a lot murkier.
