Mark Vientos, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO
The Mets have announced that infielders Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Travis Blankenhorn, outfielders Khalil Lee and Nick Plummer, catcher Patrick Mazeika, and right-handed pitcher Jose Butto have been optioned to minor league camp.
There’s now 51 players in big league camp.
The powerful Vientos and shortstop (for now) Mauricio are two of the Mets top prospects. Mauricio is No. 3 on my Top 50 Mets list and Vientos is right after him at No.4.
The 22-year-old Vientos was 1-for-5 with an RBI and two strikeouts in big league camp. The 20-year-old Mauricio was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Blankenhorn was claimed off waivers from the Mariners last year and went 4-for-23 with three extra base hits in the majors for the Mets.
Plummer and Lee, both on the 40-man roster, are expected to be in Triple-A Syracuse and could be battling for the first call-up among outfielders. Lee is No. 6 on my Mets list and Plummer is No. 12.
The left-handed hitting Mazeika made his big league debut last year when he went 15-for-79, but started he had two walk-off fielders choice early in his career. The 28-year-old is on the 40-man roster and will be in Triple-A awaiting his return to the big leagues.
The 24-year-old Butto pitched for the Mets on Monday, allowing two runs in 1 1/3 innings. My No. 10
Mets prospect will likely begin the 2022 season in Double-A Binghamton where he ended last year.
Notably, Mets top two prospects in Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty remain in big league camp.
Pitchers Jordan Yamamoto and Thomas Szapucki were previously optioned to the minors by the Mets.
