Reese Kaplan -- Who is the Third Man for the New York Mets?

For a great many years the position of third base -- the hot corner -- was frigid cold for anyone the Mets chose to trot out there to man the spot alongside the shortstop.  The list of wannabes and never wases is frighteningly long.  

The first relatively long term solution was the lackluster Wayne Garrett, he of the lifetime batting average of just .239 who in the championship year of 1973 did his best ever work with a .256/16/58 stat line.  The All Star Game was watched comfortably from the sofa in his home. 

As years progressed the club continued to try people big and small, slim and not so much, fast and slow.  It really wasn't until Howard Johnson arrived from the Tigers that for the first time ever Mets fans could hold their heads up in the discussion about there where Brooks Robinson once played.  Yes, he did have a corked bat, but between his home runs and stolen bases he at least made the games exciting.

It took quite a few pages off the annual calendar until David Wright saw the light of day and if it wasn't for his myriad of health problems he would have gotten more serious consideration for a plaque in Cooperstown.  He truly spoiled Mets fans for what the third baseman could provide to the team in the middle of the batting order and while behaving in a manner in which tabloid headlines were about what he did with his stick and not off-the-field pecadilloes that were best left under wraps.

Since his departure the Mets once again are on the hot corner carousel with players like J.D. Davis, Eduardo Excobar and other inconsistent performers being given a shot and then removed from there due to batting slumps, defensive struggles or health.  With the coming season it had appeared that Ronny Mauricio was going to offer himself up as a legitimate threat for someone in the lineup including third base, but his ACL has shelved him likely until 2025.

So that evolution due to injury has led us to round two of Brett Baty and Mark Vientos.  Baty had a reputation for batting average, power and at least adequate defense throughout his stellar progression through the minor league system.  Unfortunately, the player the team saw in 2023 seemed to be something totally different, struggling in just about every aspect of the game.  His rookie season included extended benching and even a demotion back to Syracuse.  Yet if the 2024 season opened today it's presumed the job is his to lose, no matter what.

As a failsafe the Mets acquired Joey Wendle, an all around utility player in the mold of a Luis Guillorme but with a somewhat more potent bat.  He wouldn't embarrass the team in occasional starts subbing for Baty or Lindor or McNeil, but no one is expecting him at this juncture to be a starter on a competitive team.  

So that brings us to the little discussed Mark Vientos as a Plan B.  As Mike Steffanos recently pointed out, the sub Mendoza hitting Vientos who was Krazy-Glued to the bench for most of 2023 until September did crank it up a bit there with a .230 average and 6 HRs.  If it's a six-month season, you're looking at 36 HR potential.  That's nothing to sneeze at.  It's also possible that with regular insertion into the lineup that batting average would increase 30 or more points which would make him a highly credible hitter.

Unfortunately, Mark Vientos played third base much like I did...and that's more for the blooper reels than the highlight reels.  Consequently they are talking about Vientos being a young DH to ensure his playing time, but already they are on the platoon bandwagon which would again relegate Vientos to perhaps 2 starts per week as he is right handed whereas DJ Stewart and others hit from the left side.  It often seems the Mets can't help shooting themselves in the foot, particularly when it comes to the Designated Hitter.  

No one would be happier to see Brett Baty turn into a regular capable of starting on most teams, just as folks would be ecstatic to see Vientos evolve into a middle of the order DH.  Whether or not you have confidence the Mets will allow either to happen is still unknown and uncertain, but with the ongoing inertia to improving the lineup it would appear the chances of both are actually a bit more realistic than a typical and cynical Mets fan might have thought when 2023 baseball ended.