The New York Mets have struggled to find a working third baseman, from former All-Star Eduardo Escobar to young Brett Baty. Finally, the Mets may have found a solution in Mark Vientos.
3 Reasons The Mets May Have Found Their Third Baseman
In 2021, the Mets signed All-Star Eduardo Escobar, hoping for an excellent defensive and offensive player. In 2022, the New York Mets went 101-61, with Escobar being a significant part of the success. Escobar hit 20 home runs and drove in 69 runs, averaging .240. These numbers seem high; however, he didn’t quite meet his high expectations going into 2022. In 2023, Escobar continued to decline until he was finally traded. Since then, the New York Mets have tried to find success with their prospects, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos.
His Defense Is MLB-Level
Fans of the New York Mets might fear promoting Vientos over Baty would be a terrible defensive decision. Baty showed his defensive prowess in the 49 games he played; however, Vientos has been impressive in many plays at both third and first base. Vientos has not been embarrassing or below MLB-Level; if anything, Vientos only continues improving. Vientos may not be as remarkable defensively as Baty, yet the difference between the two players is not enough to discredit what Vientos can do offensively for the Mets.
Brett Baty Has Too Many Good And Bad Streaks
As the Mets continue this season, it is clear that they seem to want one player to emerge over the other. Baty, who Vientos must contend with, has been, at times, really good with his bat. Even if it meant not hitting home runs, Baty maintained an average above .300 for a while. However, after his good stretch to begin the season, Baty quickly went on a bad streak, which he never seemed to get out of. Baty had many opportunities where he popped out or quickly struck out. So far this season, Vientos has gone 0-5 or 1-5, yet he seems to bounce back sometimes with a home run or a multi-hit game. Vientos, of course, will go on bad stretches like Baty; however, he looks to be a very sharp offensive player so far.
Vientos’s Power Is Underestimated
Every year, Vientos, as a power hitter, has gotten better. In 2022, Vientos hit just one homer in 16 games. In 2023, Vientos showcased promising power with 9 homers in 63 games (on pace to hit 25 had he been an everyday starter). Finally, in 2024, Vientos has hit 4 homers along with a nice average of .321 (on pace to hit 28 if he starts every day, 36 if he started the games that Baty did). As one can see, Vientos’s power package has only improved every year. 36 homers in one season seems very unlikely, but Vientos has not failed to impress in 2024.
Although Baty might eventually provide power, there is a promising chance that Vientos will immediately deliver power. Since Vientos has been a lifelong Mets fan, he might be in New York for a long time and evolve one day into another power hitter that the Mets can use this season and in the future.
Main Photo Credits: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
