Mets Top Prospect Mark Vientos Is Ready To Show He Belongs In The Big-Leagues

Mets top prospect Mark Vientos is knocking on the door of the big-leagues and is ready to show he belongs.

Coming off a breakout season where he crushed 25 home runs between Double A and Triple A, Mets top prospect third baseman/left fielder Mark Vientos is itching to get back into game action.

But because he was promoted to the 40-man roster in November, Vientos cannot workout at the Mets' spring training facility, or participate in minor-league camp and games until MLB's lockout is over.

This has caused him to feel a little bit of déjà vu in comparison to the 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign when the entire minor-league season was cancelled. 

“I feel like I’m repeating 2020 in a way,” Vientos told Tim Britton of The Athletic last week. “A lot of us baseball players right now, the guys on the 40-man major-league rosters, are losing their minds ready to get out there and go play. … You’ve just got to deal with it.”

Vientos is close to making his major-league debut, which could come sometime during the 2022 season. Last season, the 22-year-old turned heads with 22 home runs, 59 RBI and a .926 OPS in 72 games with Double A Binghamton, before getting called up to Syracuse at the end of the year. Although Vientos only notched 11 games in Triple A, he still slashed .278/.395/.583/.978, and slugged three homers during this brief stint to close out a strong campaign. 

The 2017 second-round draft pick is a part of a talented young group of minor leaguers in the Mets' system, which includes catcher Francisco Álvarez, third baseman Brett Baty and shortstop Ronny Mauricio. With these prospects trending towards the big-leagues, the Mets spent $124.5 million in November on three position players in their 30s, who were all signed to short-term deals. 

While Vientos prepares for the minor-league season away from his teammates, he has been training with a couple of well-established big-leaguers in Miami. Vientos has spent the offseason working out at the same facility as Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Giancarlo Stanton.

“What makes you great is how you deal with certain situations that aren’t toward your benefit,” Vientos said. “I’ll be ready whenever the call comes.”

According to Vientos, his impressive 2021 campaign was more about the mental strides he took, as opposed to maturing physically. Vientos told The Athletic that he allowed his home ballpark dimensions in Columbia derail his 2019 season. Vientos did not play a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor-league season, and then got off to a slow start in the first month of his 2021 campaign. But he didn't let these struggles get to him, posting an OPS above .1000 in the next four months that followed. 

“I think I’ve always had the ability. I’ve always been talented,” Vientos said. “Now, mentally I’m getting to the same level as physically. And I think that’s honestly the most important part of the game … You’re fighting with yourself throughout the season, just trying to push through it. I feel like as I mature and get older, I’m learning myself more and more. And that helps me out as a player, for sure.”

After missing an entire season as a result of the pandemic, Vientos admittedly developed more gratitude for the game and a greater appreciation for fan support in 2021. He also began journaling, which was a habit he had considered incorporating into his routine for a long time. 

“I have my own journal and I just write down my thoughts — what’s been working for me and what’s not been working for me. I go back when I’m struggling and trying to figure it out, to what was working for me,” said Vientos, who added that he’d been too lazy in earlier seasons to carry through with the idea. “It’s helped me out a ton for sure. And I’ve been sticking to it this offseason, and I’m going to bring it to this season for sure.”

But instead of journaling about his at-bats against specific pitchers, as first baseman Pete Alonso often does, Vientos spent a significant amount of time logging notes about his defense. 

At this point, It's evident that Vientos' power is major-league ready. The glaring question that remains is his defense. Like Baty, Vientos' natural position is at third base. However, Baty is more likely to stick at the hot corner out of this duo. Both players saw time in left field last season, which will occur again in 2022. 

As Vientos told The Athletic, he was a bit uncomfortable getting thrown into the outfield in Double A last season. But he believes with increased conditioning work and additional reps out there that he will be able to adjust. 

“My start in the outfield was a little bit iffy because I wasn’t comfortable out there,” he said. “But as I started getting more reps and playing more games out there, I was comfortable and it was easy for me. I don’t see it as a big adjustment at all.”

Vientos is not concerned with where he plays moving forward, or where he is put in the lineup. And when Vientos says he has no preference of where he lines up defensively or hits in the order, he is referring to the big-league roster. 

“Honestly, wherever they put me in the lineup — in the major-league lineup — I’m completely fine,” he said.

In the meantime, all he can do is continue to train in Miami until the lockout ends. Once he is able to report to spring training, this is where he can prove he belongs in the big-leagues, sooner rather than later. 

“Personally, I feel ready,” he said. “That decision is not in my hands. The only thing I can control right now is just working hard and giving it my all on that field and proving that I’m ready.”