The New York Mets should feel encouraged by the play of their ascendant third baseman Mark Vientos of late.
Vientos is in his third season in the MLB. He’s played all three seasons for the Mets. The righty infielder has steadily progressed year-over-year and is in the midst of a career 2024 campaign where he has hit 20 home runs and driven in 54 RBIs to date. However, Vientos seems to have overcome efficiency issues that plagued him at the plate for his first two years in the big leagues.
Mets’ Mark Vientos has seen a major turnaround at the plate in the last 10 games
Over his last 10 games, the native is slashing .286/.333/.571 with a show-worthy .905 OPS. Vientos has been crucial in the Mets coming away above .500 at 6-4 over the course of that stretch. This surge came at the right time, as he started off the month of August in forgettable fashion, slashing .182/.270/.364 with a .634 OPS and three RBIs over the course of nine games that pales in comparison to his recent numbers.
- Mets meet with star Japanese Ace with hopes of adding to rotation
- Mets have a band of misfit toys in their starting rotation
- Mets star is already starting to justify hefty price tag with ticket sales
How Vientos can help the Mets despite rumors he could be replaced
The Mets ought to feel good about the Connecticut native’s noteworthy play at this juncture of the season. For one, his hot bat can help New York go on a much-needed run to close out the year. New York is falling further out of playoff positioning, currently 2.5 games out of the sixth and final Wild Card slot.
Secondly, the Mets have had several standout infielders linked to their franchise, including soon-to-be free agent former champion Alex Bregman (Houston Astros). The Mets acquiring a top-shelf third baseman next winter may call for Vientos to be benched or moved to make way. Based on his output, and the most recent image he’s left in the baseball world’s mind, he’d be a good player to keep around beyond this season.
