ONLY IN AMNEWYORK
QUEENS, NY — Mark Vientos has needed a level head to get here.
It was not too long ago that the New York Mets’ 24-year-old third baseman was riding the maddening carousel between the majors and Triple-A, given brief chances to prove himself only to be sent back down to the minors.
He appeared in just 16 games with 36 at-bats during his first stint in the majors back in 2022. Last year, he was called up in mid-May only to be sent back down one month later after another 16 games. On July 21, he was back and seemed to run with the consistent playing time he was given.
In 22 games from Aug. 29-Sept. 27, 2023 — a 25-game stretch for the Mets — Vientos slashed .272/.314/.556 (.870 OPS) with seven home runs and 12 RBI. It was an unrealistic 162-game pace of 52 home runs with 88 RBI, but it at least provided some evidence that there is an avenue for him to find success at the major league level.
He worked closely with Mets legend David Wright in spring training, dissecting the former third baseman’s brain on nearly every aspect of the game as he looked primed to hammer down a full-time spot on the MLB roster. But just one week before the start of the season, the Mets signed JD Martinez, pulling the rug out from under Vientos and forcing him back down to Triple-A.
He got three games with the Mets in late April but was sent back down where he remained for two more weeks until the stars finally aligned for him. Joey Wendle was designated for assignment and Brett Baty still could not put it together in the big leagues, prompting president of baseball operations David Stearns to go back to Vientos.
Such a journey could have demoralized a player to the point of disinterest in the organization. But Vientos never wavered, keeping the most impactful lesson from Wright fresh in his mind while running with the consistent opportunity that has been afforded to him.
“He said not to ride the highs and the lows. Just stay in the middle, even-keeled,” Vientos told amNewYork. “I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that. I feel like that’s just one of my things. It’s to focus on doing that more than anything. If I had a good game, alright, we’re on tomorrow, we’re on to the next game. If I have a bad game, alright, tomorrow, the next one. It’s the same thing, no matter the result.”
The good games have far outweighed the bad ones this season.
In 63 appearances (224 at-bats), mostly as the Mets’ starting third baseman, he’s slashing .286/.341/.563 (.904 OPS) with 16 home runs and 42 RBI while showing the sort of front-line power that has made him an anchor in the middle of a resurgent lineup that has turned the franchise’s season around from the bottom of the National League standings to a Wild Card spot.
“I taught him everything he knows,” Wright joked with SNY’s Steve Gelbs on Tuesday. “He’s a tremendous young man who has gone through a lot of ups this year. It’s been fun to watch him play and go out there and dominate, he’s a guy you can on in the middle of the order.
“It’s great to see young players when they come up to you and ask you baseball questions, he’s one of those guys that when he comes up and says hi or wants to talk baseball, it’s not just to do it. He really wants to get something out of it.”
With Wright on hand at Citi Field, he saw Vientos hit his 15th home run of the year, making him just the 17th player in franchise history aged 24 or younger to hit that mark in a single season. He followed it up with another round-tripper — a third-inning two-run shot — in Wednesday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins. Over his last eight games, he has four home runs and nine RBI.
“Mark has handled himself very well,” Stearns previously said of Vientos. “He was very understandably disappointed when we sent him down at the end of camp but he went down to Triple-A, worked hard, has been a good teammate. He’s handled himself very well.”
Vientos has long admired Wright. His father, who hailed from Washington Heights, is a Mets fan and passed that on to him — he idolized Wright and the likes of Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado.
Two decades later, he is manning the same position as Wright for the same team and in the same ballpark in what he described as a “pinch-me,” moment.
“It’s an honor. I grew up watching him play,” Vientos said. “He’s one of my favorite players. Getting advice from him and hearing him give me praise, it’s awesome… It’s almost like a pinch-me moment. Is this real? Just growing up, watching the Mets, David Wright, and being around him now… when things are happening in life like this, you’re like ‘damn, I can’t believe this is happening.’ It’s cool.”
