While the pitching issues the New York Mets have had in the bullpen have drawn a ton of attention, they also have a huge need in their lineup. Finding a hitter who can seize the fifth spot behind Pete Alonso has been a challenge as Eduardo Escobar, Jeff McNeil and various designated hitters have rotated through that slot all year long. One potential solution could emerge from the Mets’ minor league system in the form of third baseman Mark Vientos, who is the focus of this week’s edition of Minor League Mondays.
Vientos, the Mets’ second-round pick in 2017, established himself as a force last season with AA Binghamton. In 72 games for the Rumble Ponies last season, Vientos batted .281 with 22 home runs and 59 RBIs, earning himself a late-season promotion to AAA Syracuse. The Mets opted to have Vientos begin 2022 with Syracuse in order to avoid a playing-time logjam at third base with fellow prospect Brett Baty, but Vientos did start the year very slowly.
Things have picked up of late for Vientos, who has raised his batting average to .250 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs for Syracuse over 39 games. Vientos has been extremely hot over the past ten games, batting .333 with two homers and seven RBIs over that span.
The bat is what will help Vientos earn a trip to the major leagues since there are legitimate concerns over his defensive fit at the big league level. A natural third baseman, Vientos has the arm for the position but his fielding and range make him a questionable fit at the big league level. The Mets experimented with Vientos in left field last year when he and Baty shared time with Binghamton but the fit out there wasn’t great either. The addition of the DH would be helpful for Vientos’ path to the major leagues but he would need to keep up his hot hitting to force the Mets’ hand and earn a promotion.
MLB.com has rated Vientos as the Mets’ fifth-best prospect and it is also worth watching him as a potential trade chip before the August 2 deadline. With Baty playing the same position and a higher-rated prospect, Vientos could be deemed expendable if the Mets have an opportunity to add a big-time piece to this year’s roster in order to make a push for a World Series crown. A continued hot streak would certainly increase Vientos’ value so he is definitely a name that fans should be aware of in the coming weeks.
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