One of the New York Mets‘ top young prospects with a chance to make the 2023 Opening Day roster is Mark Vientos.
Entering Spring Training, along with other top prospects vying to make the 26-man roster, Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty, the chances for Vientos did seem less than likely.
However, with the willingness he has shown to take on a versatile role for the Mets, he may end up helping his chances.
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Mark Vientos playing all over the field for the Mets:
The Mets selected Vientos in the second round (59th overall) of the 2017 MLB draft. He is still very young, having just turned 23 in December.
From a physical standpoint, Vientos is gifted with tall, 6-foot-4 height. That frame gives him tons of power at the plate. Vientos does also have a strong arm in the field. And in the field, he has been willing to go wherever to help this Mets team so far in camp.
Yesterday, Abbey Mastracco of The Daily News reported that Vientos arrived at Port St. Lucie with three different fielding gloves to prove his willingness to play at any position. Vientos could potentially be Pete Alonso’s backup at first base or just a versatile option in the infield for the Mets. Vientos stated to The Daily News, “I’m ready to play in the big leagues every day.”
A few days ago, Buck Showalter did state to the media that he has seen a much more focused approach toward the work from Vientos.
Since Vientos arrived at Port St. Lucie, SNY has shared clips of him getting fielding work in at both first and third base.
Aside from roles defensively, where Vientos could also take an opportunity for himself with his bat, is as the right-handed designated hitter. The Mets currently have some questions there, with Darin Ruf seemingly as the top option for that role at the moment.
Ultimately, to see the maturity of Vientos at such an early age is very encouraging. The willingness to play at any position to just help the team win is exciting to see from such a young prospect. Vientos has all the talent to be a great contributor for the Mets, and his already impressive mental makeup only gives him more potential over time.