Mets call up prospect Mark Vientos, who will debut Sunday
Mets minor-league prospect Mark Vientos. Credit: Rick Nelson
MIAMI — Mark Vientos, perhaps the Mets’ last best internal hope as an offensive spark and decisive solution to their DH quandary, is a major-leaguer.
The Mets called up Vientos, a 22-year-old third baseman/first baseman, on Saturday when rightfielder Starling Marte went on the injured list with a fractured right middle finger. Vientos didn’t actually make it to the ballpark on what technically was his first day in the majors — his flight didn’t land until late in the Mets’ 11-3 win over the Marlins — but he will be in the starting lineup Sunday, manager Buck Showalter said.
Showalter intends to play him against lefthanded pitchers with the possibility — if he hits well — that he will play against everybody. “He’s here to help us. We think he’s our best option right now,” Showalter said. “He’s put together a good year statistically at the plate. We’re proud of him. He’s got a chance to be a good one.”
Vientos’ top skill: hitting for power, a dynamic the Mets largely have lacked this year, particularly outside of slugger extraordinaire Pete Alonso.
His numbers with Triple-A Syracuse included a .280 average, .358 OBP and .519 slugging percentage, and against lefties he was even better. In 101 games, he had 24 homers and 72 RBIs.
“Good-looking hitter. Good-looking hitter. And he’s made improvements defensively,” Showalter said. “He’s driven in a lot of runs, I like that. That’s a lot of runs to drive in in a minor-league season. Ask me [for an opinion of Vientos] in a few days. I just saw him a little bit in the spring. I’m glad he’s one of us. Hopefully he can help us.”
There appears to be playing time to win for Vientos, whom MLB Pipeline ranks as the Mets’ No. 7 prospect. The team’s offensive swoon has been particularly evident with their DHs. Daniel Vogelbach entered play Saturday with three hits in his past 33 at-bats. Daniel Ruf was 1-for-his-last-29 covering nearly a month. Both were trade-deadline acquisitions at the Mets’ most gaping spot in the lineup, and especially Vogelbach initially had success.
“Not what they spoiled us with. They’ve done well and will again,” Showalter said. “Sometimes you want something too much. Our guys, they’re in that mode right now for sure.”
Vientos helps deepen the Mets’ bench, too, which was handcuffed in part by Marte’s presence on the roster but inability to play. The other options Saturday, for example, included a backup catcher (Tomas Nido), a pinch runner/outfielder whom the Mets scarcely play (Terrance Gore), a utility infielder whom the Mets scarcely play (Deven Marrero) and Ruf.
Before this weekend, the Mets had resisted calling up Vientos despite his success at the top level of the minors, including in July (when they had a huge hole at DH and hadn’t made trades yet) and in August (when third baseman Eduardo Escobar went on the IL).
In the latter scenario, the Mets decided on Brett Baty, who generally is considered a better, more well-rounded prospect than Vientos. Baty might miss the rest of the regular season after having surgery on a torn ligament in his right thumb.
But now Vientos has arrived, at a time when the Marlins are playing his hometown team to boot. He was born in nearby Pembroke Pines and attended American Heritage (the same high school that produced Eric Hosmer and Marrero) in Plantation.
Vientos was picked in the second round of the 2017 draft — five years and four general managers ago.
He rose steadily through the minors and was always young for the level he was playing at. His power finally emerged in 2021 when he spent most of the season with Double-A Binghamton.
Despite being drafted two years before Baty, Vientos is one month younger.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
