SYRACUSE — Because the Mets weigh acquisitions forward of the commerce deadline, they might use a right-handed bat. They completed play Wednesday because the Nineteenth-best workforce within the majors towards left-handed pitchers, with a .702 OPS.
Their most evident holes (exterior of catcher, which might be difficult to improve midseason) are designated hitter and third base.
What in the event that they don’t have to make a commerce to accumulate the slugger they search, however as a substitute can discover him inside the group?
The fan base has been at its loudest championing righty-hitting catcher Francisco Alvarez, who's crushing Double-A pitching. Alvarez, nevertheless, continues to be studying behind the plate, is simply 20 years previous and isn't on the 40-man roster.
Alternatively, Mark Vientos, the Mets’ No. 5 prospect in line with MLB Pipeline, is already on the 40-man roster and is likely to be higher positioned to assist instantly.
“Each time I get the chance, I do know I’m prepared,” Vientos mentioned Thursday at NBT Financial institution Stadium, the house of the Triple-A Syracuse Mets earlier than a recreation towards Lehigh Valley through which he batted third and performed first base. “If they provide me a chance now, later, subsequent 12 months, the 12 months after — doesn’t matter,” he mentioned. “When that chance comes, I’ll be prepared.”
The 22-year-old Vientos, a second-round pick of American Heritage Excessive College in Plantation, Fla., in 2017, broke out final season, when he swatted 25 dwelling runs in 83 video games cut up between Double-A and Triple-A — practically a 50-homer tempo for a full main league season — and confirmed superior energy to all fields.
This season, as one of many youngest gamers within the Worldwide League (he has had one at-bat towards a pitcher youthful than him) Vientos struggled in April, when he hit .164 with one homer.
Since Could 2, Vientos has been coated in flames, whilst pitchers have adjusted and given him fewer pitches to hit and fewer fastballs. Getting into Thursday, he had 11 dwelling runs in his previous 33 video games, with a slash line of .291/.388/.575 throughout that span.
His supervisor, Kevin Boles, pointed at improved plate self-discipline for the turnaround. Although his 31.2 % strikeout charge was barely up this season, he has minimize down from his April whiffs.
“As soon as it began to warmth up a bit of bit, you would see the method began getting higher,” mentioned Boles, who additionally labored with Vientos as a minor league teacher final season. “He can depart [the park] to all components of the sphere. That’s why he’s so particular. … He hit a ball to proper area [Wednesday] evening that a variety of left-handed hitters have a tough time attending to.”
Maybe most intriguing to the Mets, he does the majority of his injury towards southpaws. The Mets have performed J.D. Davis most frequently at DH towards lefties. However whereas Davis has begun to see his arduous hits begin to fall, the righty hitter has truly hit righty pitchers higher and has only a .655 OPS towards lefties.
Vientos has been a bona fide lefty-killer within the minors. This season, he was hitting .291 with seven dwelling runs in 63 plate appearances towards southpaws getting into play towards Lehigh Valley, the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate.
“The ability is official,” a scout mentioned of the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Vientos.
His glove is extra a piece in progress.
Vientos has spent most of his time this season at third base, and the Mets might see if he's playable there. The Mets’ major third baseman, Eduardo Escobar, has struggled towards righties, which could have opened the door for Luis Guillorme to get extra seems to be on the place. However Vientos, who additionally has performed some first, made 11 errors (9 of them at third) in his first 53 video games this season so is extra probably to assist at DH.
“He’s gotten higher,” Boles mentioned. “His third-base footwork wants to enhance. We’re seeing indicators of that. The glove work will result in that, when the footwork improves. The arm energy performs common to above common. However yeah, there must be extra consistency at third base, and he’s working arduous on it.”
Vientos mentioned every season, there was a robust emphasis on one a part of his recreation, and protection is the software to hone this 12 months.
“I do know what I’m able to at third base,” Vientos mentioned. “I do know I will be an on a regular basis third baseman within the massive leagues.”
If the prodigious energy and suspect glove are reminiscent (generously) of Pete Alonso, the 2 have extra in frequent than their profiles whereas going by means of the Mets system.
They first crossed paths at Tutorial League play in 2017, after they talked hitting. Alonso took a have a look at Vientos’ 33-ounce, 30-inch bat.
“He was like, ‘Dude, if you wish to hit extra dwelling runs, you bought to go up an oz heavier on this bat,’ ” Vientos mentioned. “And ever since I took his recommendation on that, I feel I’ve been hitting much more dwelling runs.”
Perhaps the Mets will commerce for somebody akin to Nelson Cruz, a confirmed righty bat to plug in at DH. Perhaps they are going to stick to Davis, who constantly has made sturdy contact, or perhaps they are going to take the shock route and name up Alvarez all the way in which from Double-A.
But when Vientos is the choose, he can thank Alonso in particular person.
Post a Comment