What's in Store for Twenty-Four?: Mark Vientos

[Edgy MD]

It's me. It's Baty. It's me. It's Baty. But Baty somehow gets just a little more ink.

I get it. He's got first-round pedigree. He's a blond Texan. He's got that lefty swing.

But I'm a second-rounder — you know, like George Brett and Mike Schmidt. Guys like that. And accepting that being a medium-complected guy from Florida makes me somehow less-than is just surrendering to racist bullshit. I was born in Connecticut, man. If that's not American enough for you, maybe you and your buddy Stephen Miller need to look in the mirror. The fact is that I've been around in this organization longer than Baty, and I've hit at every level of the minors.

And oh, yeah, I'm (a month) younger.

I get it. I was never gonna stick at shortstop, but let me ask you: who's the real defensive question mark — the guy who stoops down from a higher point in the defensive spectrum to play third, or the guy who was never going to be any higher? I ask you to consider that.

Some prospect rankers have been real bullish on me all along, and some have totally ignored me, while everyone has had to at least acknowledge Mr. First-Round-Guy. Whatever. I didn't care. (Who does these rankings? Stephen Miller?) I just let my bat do the talking. And it's talked. It's told you what I can do.

But it can't tell the future. Only you can. I'm not asking you to tell the whole story, mind you. Just 2024. What's in store ... for me?

[Benjamin Grimm]

For whatever reason, I'm more optimistic about Vientos than I am about Baty. I think he'll hold his own as the DH this year. 450 plate appearances, 19 homers, 65 RBI.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm quite the opposite.

I'm a Vientos show-me. He looks like a guy who will strike out too much, get hot then get hurt, a discount-store Giancarlo Stanton.

17-47-.215/.295/.395

[metirish]

I'm predicting a sore hole from riding the bench , I'm not sold on him or Baty

[dgwphotography]

It's funny how these sorts of things work out - I have a feeling we will be pleasantly surprised with Vientos after not signing J.D. Davis. I could see .275-20-75 this year.

[smg58]

.240/.320/.420 as an adequate platoon DH. Like JCL said, he'll strike out too much.

[Cowtipper]

Honestly, among all the top prospects that started to come aboard a couple years ago, he always struck me as the weakest. I usually say teams should give players until they are 25 before they ditch them, but I think Vientos might be dealt away if he doesn't perform this year. He has an option left, but I could see the Mets ditching him to a team while he's still young.

[MFS62]

.245-18-66
Later

[Edgy MD]

I'm really interested if one or both Vientos and/or Baty see any time in the outfield. I wonder if Mendoza, coming in from outside the system, doesn't see that as an option, despite it having well been on the table in the past.

We're down to the last week of spring training, and so it's as good a time as any to let guys on the bubble show what they can do at a secondary or tertiary position, but McNeil clearly hasn't seen the outfield yet either.

It'll be a lot easier to carry both if one of them can show even a little utility out there.

.252 / .329 / .471 // .800 with 24 homers and 67 RBI.

[metirish]

But isn't Martinez starting in the Minor leagues to build up at bats ?

[MFS62]

Ugh
On both moves.
If Martinez is in the minors, who will be the DH until Martinez returns?
I would never put "Short" and "hitter" in the same sentence, much less with designated in front of hitter.
So it will have to be someone else.
Later

[ashie62]

Mark will be patiently waiting for a trade

He will be turning 25

[kcmets]

Traded in July.

[Benjamin Grimm]

For whatever reason, I'm more optimistic about Vientos than I am about Baty. I think he'll hold his own as the DH this year. 450 plate appearances, 19 homers, 65 RBI.

Obviously, I'll have to change my prediction now that J.D. Martinez is on board.

Now I'll say that he'll get called up to the big club a couple of times while someone is on the IL. 4 homers, 18 rbi. 100 plate appearances.

[Edgy MD]

Mark will be patiently waiting for a trade

He will be turning 25

Turning 25 happens to everybody, if they're lucky enough to make it that far. If it happens to Vientos, though, it won't be until December.

[G-Fafif]

Vientos has returned, corresponding move pending.

[Edgy MD]

Was to be expected. Working with only one backup infielder could never have been a longterm plan.

No obvious answers as to who goes, however.

[MFS62]

He's gone .302-5-22 in 23 games.
Later

[ashie62]

Mark Vientos is up for Marte?

And why not

[Cowtipper]

He's killed it at Triple-A so far. This could be the year!

[metirish]

Optioned back to AAA

[MFS62]

Optioned back to AAA

Hopefully, as Edgy said, this is a temporary move until they can work on another move to get him back.
Later

[Centerfield]

Logic: 300 PAs of .600-ish OPS prior to this year was definitely not enough of a sample size to draw any conclusions. But i think the 67 PAs this year is conclusive. Vientos is going to be a star.