This is an important spring for Mark Vientos.
The young Mets slugger is playing for a spot on the Opening Day roster as either a third baseman — although Brett Baty seems to have the inside track on that job — or as the team’s DH.
Vientos has the power to play in the big leagues, slugging nine homers last season, six coming in September, and after a slow start this spring, Vientos has launched three homers over his last eight games including in the Mets’ 6-5 win over the Astros on Wednesday night.
So, what’s changed for Vientos? According to the 24-year-old, it’s his comfort at the plate.
“I’m getting there. My timing is getting there. I feel like I could mishit a pitch and it’ll be a home run,” Vientos said after Wednesday’s game. “I have that ability to do that. I feel comfortable at the plate now. This past game I had a couple of good at-bats, had a walk in there so I’m happy about that. Getting there for sure.”
Vientos finished the day going 1-for-3 with that walk, but it was his big blast in the eighth inning that punctuated his evening and was a showcase of his vision and bat speed, fouling off a tough 3-2 pitch to set up his home run.
“He’s confident,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Vientos. “He has a smile on his face, he’s dictating at-bats and he’s getting results …. Overall, he’s been good.”
As Opening Day approaches, and rumors of a possible addition to the lineup swirl, Vientos knows he needs to show the organization that he’s a major league-ready player. But to Vientos, this year isn’t unlike years past.
Other Mets prospects like Baty and Francisco Alvarez have come up and made their cases but for the 2017 second-round draft pick, he knows he needs to continue to make his.
“I walk around here with a chip on my shoulder,” Vientos said. “I feel like I have to prove times two and I feel like I’ve been doing it. I have to keep it up and keep proving myself, and it’s not going to stop.”
When asked what he meant by his “times two” remark, Vientos simply answered, “That’s just the narrative since I’ve been playing this game from a young age.”
If Vientos continues on this trajectory, he could become undeniable and find himself in the big leagues on Day 1.
