Last season, New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos was the team’s most pleasant surprise, slashing .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs and 71 RBI over 454 plate appearances.
It was a breakout campaign for Vientos, who had registered a .620 OPS the year prior and went just 6-for-36 during his big-league debut in 2022.
As a result of Vientos’ strong showing in 2024, the Mets were fully expecting the 25-year-old to comprise a major part of their lineup this season, and offense that now includes superstar Juan Soto.
However, Vientos has been anything but thus far, hitting just .145 with one home run and five RBI. His first homer came in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, and while it was nice for him to get on the board, there is no doubt that his horrific start is concerning.
That begs the question: was Vientos’ 2024 campaign a mirage?
The former second-round pick posted a .324 BABIP last year, well over the approximate league average of .290. That indicates he may have been getting a bit lucky, as his hard-hit percentage (36.4 percent) was actually lower than it was the previous campaign (41.6 percent).
This year, Vientos’ hard-hit percentage has plummeted to 22.4 percent, and naturally, his BABIP (.188) has spiraled with it. One can argue that Vientos’ BABIP lends credence toward the notion that he has been unlucky in 2025, but when he isn’t making solid contact, what do you expect?
Another problem for Vientos is that he doesn’t really walk. He only earned 33 free passes last season, and thus far this year, he has walked nine times over 75 trips to the dish. Not very good.
It’s entirely possible that pitchers have learned the Norwalk, Ct. native, and when he isn’t working the count, it’s obviously going to cause some trouble.
Vientos did register a decent .349 OBP throughout his minor-league career, but that isn’t fantastic. Not in the minors, anyway.
This isn’t to say that Vientos is without hope or that his 2024 campaign was a one-year wonder, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that he needs to make some adjustments to his approach. If not, the Mets may have a gigantic hole at the hot corner.
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