Vientos as a teenager in 2017; now he is all grown up and blasting HRs.
David Wright was the greatest offensive home-grown Met ever.
Mark Vientos seems pretty good these days to me, but lots of folks express some degree of skepticism, and few seem to feel he'll be ready next opening day.
Before caving in to the naysayers, let's compare Wright's 2004 to Vientos' 2021, and see if Vientos might be getting under-estimated a bit.
In 2003, David Wright spent the full season in High A ball.
In 2004, he had 223 at bats in AA and hit .363, then jumped to AAA and hit .298 in 114 at bats.
In those 91 games, he stole 22 of 32, fanned just 60 times, and had an amazing 35 doubles to go with 18 HRs.
How do you spell "very ready"?
OK - Wright was great, and very ready.
Mark Vientos?
He won't be stealing 22 bases, that much I can tell you. And he is not a doubles-producing machine like David Wright.
But in 2021, Vientos had 274 at bats in AA and 36 more in AAA. He played no games in 2020, for obvious reasons, and jumped from Low A ball in 2019 to AA in 2021. Understandably, there was some rust at the start of 2021.
He started out 19 for 90 (.211) in AA, with a mere 5 doubles, 3 HRs, and 12 RBIs.
After that glacial, rust-removing start to his 2021 season, however, he caught fire, hitting 22 HRs in his final 220 at bats, an amazing 1 every 10 at bats, virtually double Wright's 2004 rate.
He had 13 doubles in those 220 at bats, a good rate, but not even close to Wright, in good part because of his higher HR rate - more long shots actually clearing walls.
In those 220 at bats, Vientos plated 51 runs, a dad-gum fine rib eye rate. He also had 68 hits in those 220 at bats, hitting above .300 over that stretch. His 11 games in AAA were successful: .278/.395/.583.
He did fan 100 times in 83 games in 2021, but 31 of those Ks came in his 78 May at bats. After that, he had 69 in 222 at bats, still a high rate, but improved.
So...is he ready for opening day 2022?
Perhaps. I think it is entirely possible.
Defense counts, too, of course. He is not the defensive 3B that Wright was, at least yet, but besides 3b, Vientos in 2021 also played errorless first base (no room there on Mets) and 13 errorless games in the outfield, a new position for him.
But, if he could hone his outfield play this off-season, he makes a stronger case (as someone who can play 3 positions) to show he is ready.
My guess is????
He'll start out in AAA and come up when there is a need.
But many felt the same way about Pete Alonso heading out of off-season 2018 into 2019, that he'd start out in AAA in 2019. He played all season in 2019 with the Mets, however, and won the Rookie of the Year award - and hit a major league record for a rookie of 53 HRs.
How many HRs could Mark Vientos hit for the Mets in a full 2022 season? My guess? A lot. He has major power to all fields, and he ought to show up in spring training even bigger and better.
Wright made his MLB debut on July 21, 2004.
Vientos definitely ought to make his MLB debut before July 21, 2022. That's how I see it.
How about you?
One thing is for sure to me...had he not lost a full season to a pandemic in 2020, he'd have already been a Met.
19 comments:
Tom on the HR total are the fences moved in:) Also on Maurcio is he truly a SS or like Flores he must be moved to another position?
First, the arrival of Vientos on Roosevelt Avenue will be determined by how he starts the 2022 season in Syracuse.
If he hits at the same HR/AB ratio he did in the later part of 2021, he will be a Met at the AS break.
As for Mauricio,the B-Met manager told John last season in an interview that Mauricio was a "100%" shortstop.
If that is true going forward, he will have to do that for another team.
Does t matter if Mauricio is a true SS. That’s Lindor s position.Mauricio moves to LF or 3B.
My point is by not moving him to another position he becomes trade bait which I hate so why with Lindor on board didn't they already move him?
Question of the year.
Gary, Vientos played his cards just right. Total career at bats in the hitters' horror known as Cyclone Park? Zero. He skipped right over Brooklyn. SO should they all.
Mauricio likely has his best trade value as a SS. If they keep him, which I hope they will, he will have to move off of SS. Fortunately for Mauricio, there is plenty of time left to do that in 2022. I cannot see him called up before 2023 unless injuries forced something.
That said, I'd not be surprised to see him become a 25-35 HR hitter by, say, 2024. So if he gets traded, it better not be cheap.
Vientos? I just wonder if he will hit HRs at a Pete rate when he gets to the big leagues. It is possible he just had an unusual power streak. But I am leaning towards a guy who will hit 30-40 a year within a few short years.
Lindor. 10 more years. I sure hope he is Derek Jeter and not Zoilo Versalles.
HAPPY VETERANS DAY TO ALL THE VETS
Indeed.........thank you to all the Veterans who serve or served in the past.
Vientos? I don't think his defense is good enough to play 3B every day.....sort of like JD, I think. Could he play LF? I guess so, especially if Dom was allowed to run out there in the past. Why is it that a good number of our prospects don't field well enough to play the position they were drafted to play?
Anyway.....I think dealing Mauricio would be a HUGE mistake. Sure, his natural position is blocked, but second base is potentially wide open (Baez possibly returning being the unknown variable). Or, if he is an athlete, maybe he can learn to play LF? Personally, I let Baez walk, use Jeff McNeil at 2B for a year or so and I move Mauricio to 2B starting in 2022.
Xx maybe I’m right maybe I’m wrong,Mauricio will be best player of all the prospects. They’ll find a position for that bat. Shortstops can play other positions. I’m thinking he ends up in LF.
Mauricio is very young and hitting with impressive power. His contact rate, however, is not that good and he needs to work on that as well as other positions to improve his prospects for moving up the ladder quickly.
Gents, go on Ronny’s MILB page, watch his HRs. It feels like deja vu Darryl to me. Keep him.
Mike, I think Vientos was also considered a future 1B when drafted, as a fallback. He’d probably be a fine one. Crowded Mets spot, though.
Thanks to all the veterans. Me it was 65-68 USS Bennington out of Long Beach CA. and what a trill when your 18.
Gary, must have been quite an adventure
I agree with Mack; Vientos will start the year in Syracuse and that will be the judge of when he ends up in New York.
His scorecard will be both offensively and defensively. It will be telling what position he is playing on opening day in upstate New York. I really hope that when they get their management team in that they figure out who they want to play where and start them out at those positions on their respective teams. I really don't want to see Vientos splitting time at third base, left field, right field, and first base. If he plays much first base in Syracuse, it is telling me they have no intention of keeping him and he will be traded sooner than later. Best guess is that Vientos will be the starting leftfielder with the Syr-Mets for at least three months. I suspect they like Baty on third better, but that is just a hunch. And if that is the case, Baty should play third every day for at least two months in Binghamton before moving to Syracuse.
Do not bring him up with a 'he might be able to play here'. Find out and then promote.
Batt’s Brennan ETA took a hit so far this AFL season.I still think he could be a late 2022 call up. Right now, he feels like Kelenic 2021 if Baty is called up too early in 2022.
Tom, agree with your last post 100%. As much as Anonymous (whoever the hell that is) rails on bringing up some of these guys to provide 'youth', what good is it to have youth if they are not ready for the show.
I don't believe Baty is even ready for AAA in April - he had a cup of coffee in Binghamton. Let him play in Binghamton and see if he can put up Vientos 21 numbers for two or three months, then get him to Syracuse and NY in 2023 if he is ready.
The strikeouts in the AFL are concerning.
And yes, losing 2020 was really painful for the players and fans patience, but it doesn't change the fact that (most of) these guys still need games and at-bats on the way up. Guys like Soto and Harper before him are rare.
Thanks. People should identify themselves and be succinct.
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