For years, Mark Vientos was a player searching for his moment. The raw power was always there, but consistency at the major league level eluded him. That all changed in 2024, when the New York Mets’ third baseman finally put it all together and emerged as a true middle-of-the-order force.
Vientos’ breakout season wasn’t just impressive—it was the kind of leap that turns a player from a fringe roster piece into a foundational bat. With a 133 wRC+, 27 home runs, and a 2.9 fWAR in just 111 games, he didn’t just prove he belonged—he made it clear he was a legitimate asset.
And then came the postseason, where he delivered in key moments and cemented his place in Mets lore. Players who can hit like this, especially when they’re young and under team control, are a rare and valuable commodity. The Mets have one in Vientos.
A Bat to Build Around, A Glove That Needs Work
For all his offensive firepower, Vientos isn’t a five-tool player. His bat carries him, and his glove? Well, let’s just say it’s still a work in progress.
At third base, he logged 880.1 innings and posted some concerning defensive metrics: -6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -6 Outs Above Average (OAA). Those numbers don’t just hint at struggles—they confirm them. Watching him play, it’s clear his hands aren’t the smoothest, and routine plays sometimes become adventures.
That said, he did show improvement in one key area: his throwing accuracy. Only one of his five errors at third base last year came on a throw, a notable step forward from previous seasons. But making a good throw only matters if the ball is fielded cleanly in the first place.
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Hope for Growth at the Hot Corner
At 25, Vientos still has time to develop defensively. Fielding isn’t like power—it’s a skill that can be refined with enough work and the right coaching.
If he can make real strides with his glove, the ceiling for him becomes even higher. His bat is already a difference-maker, and if he turns himself into even a league-average defender at third base, the Mets will have something special on their hands.
