Mets' Mark Vientos is more comfortable — and productive — than ever
MIAMI — On the morning of his debut here last summer, Mark Vientos was downright antsy. He paced in the clubhouse, headphones on, waiting for the hours till first pitch to tick away. He popped out into the dugout to take in the triple-decker stadium. He watched his phone blow up after the Mets posted about him on Instagram. He glanced at the lineup card with his name on it, spurring a veteran teammate to inquire: “You ever bat eighth, kid?”
He had not.
One year and one week later, back in his hometown ballpark, Vientos is living a different major-league life. He is more comfortable — and more productive — than ever amid his de facto audition for a regular role on the 2024 team.
“It’s completely different,” he said. “Last year to now, how much better have I gotten? I feel a lot more confident as a player. I’m in a better spot. Not saying last year I wasn’t a good player. I’ve always been a great player; I’ve always been able to play at this level. But more experience, learning the game more, being here, being around the guys teaches you about the game.
“I feel like I’m mentally better. Physically, I’ve always had the physical tools. I’ve always had the talent. But mentally — knowing the game, how it works — I feel completely different.”
His hitting lately has been different, too. Over the previous three weeks entering play Tuesday, he had a .296 average with a .845 OPS in 15 games, nothing otherworldly but certainly solid and a step up from his previous level of production. He specifically has been better against breaking balls.
Vientos still is striking out too much, including more than one out of every four plate appearances during that stretch, but when he makes contact it is heavy-duty contact. His average exit velocity of 93.7 this season is a little better than the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Yordan Alvarez and Mookie Betts and almost as good as Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani.
“He may have a couple of at-bats or even a couple of pitches where he doesn’t look exactly as competitive as he can be, and all of a sudden he puts a good swing on a ball and hits the ball hard,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s pretty obvious he can impact the baseball . . . Consistency is what he’s chasing.”
Hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said: “He has so much bat speed and so much power, we just gotta get him to get to it.”
Consistency will be a major key for Vientos as he tries to prove he should be a longer-term answer for the Mets. Foremost among the others: figuring out his defensive future. A third baseman by trade who also plays first base, Vientos hasn’t played a ton of either spot for the Mets.
First base is, of course, occupied by Pete Alonso, who is due to reach free agency following the 2024 season. Third base is a huge question mark for the Mets, with Vientos sharing reps with Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio during this looking-to-the-future stage of the Mets’ season.
Much of Vientos’ recent success, the longest run of consistent playing time he has received in the majors, has come at DH.
“Mark’s got a chance to be a good hitter up here,” Showalter said. “There’s a couple places he could end up, but DH is a position too. But we hope that’s not the case. We’re looking at him as a defender right now.”
Whatever doubt exists, Vientos welcomes it. He arrived with less prospect status than his fellow rookies — Francisco Alvarez, Baty and Mauricio — a dynamic he is aware of.
“I like it because it makes me work harder. I keep that chip on my shoulder because I want to prove people wrong all the time,” Vientos said earlier this year. “I try not to pay attention, but when I do see something I’m like, good, I want to keep working and getting better. It’s going to make me improve my game. Because if it was just love all the time, maybe I’m not as good as I am and am going to be.”