Tom Brennan: Mark Vientos Gives Hope; Acuna & Rhylan Hot

 

Mark Vientos is Fitting In in Queens (photo: Richard Nelson) 

I have long been a supporter of Mark Vientos, who hit his 8th and 9th homers last night in a huge game against the Yankees.  I knew that he had “Pete Power” to all fields and liked to drive the ball to all fields for HRs.  He crushed an absolute bomb to dead center in Chicago on Sunday over the batters’ eye, and then hit two long, no-doubt blasts off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, one going out to left center and one to right center.

He has now hit .297 with a .575 slug % in 34 Mets games, along with 30 RBIs in 31 AAA games earlier this year.

And, c’mon, admit it:  

Great defense, too. 

One Mets error, and just 2 other errors in 25 games in 2024 in AAA.

Sometimes my hunches are correct. 

Although Mark’s 2024 added defensive strength is a pleasant surprise.

On April 12, I wrote this:

MARK VIENTOS?

In the “what have you done for me lately?” scenario, I looked at Mark’s 3 more recent subsets of work:

1) Sept/Oct 2023 with the Mets. 20 for 87, 6 HRs, 11 RBIs, 4 walks, 27 Ks

2) Spring Training 2024 with the Mets: 13 for 56, 5 HRs, 9 RBIs, 2 walks, 19 Ks

3) Syracuse regular season 2024, AAA:11 for 36, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, 6 walks, 11 Ks

Add those 3 up, 44 for 179 (.246), 14 HRs, 12  walks, 57 Ks.

His power numbers above are inescapably impressive. A homer every 12.8 at bats.

One can assume he will get better still, but his career is facing a bit of a crisis, having started his minor league tutelage at age 17 all the way back in 2017.

Yet his numbers in some respects compare to highly paid Phillies regular Kyle Schwarber, who is hitting .208 with 2 HRs, 5 RBIs in 48 at bats this year, with an average of a similar HR every 12.5 official at bats in 2022 and 2023, admittedly lots more walks than Mark but a dreadful 415 Ks in 315 games, and a .207 average over those 2 years. 

Again, in making this comparison, I find it hard to fathom that some teams in MLB wouldn’t right now be able to carve out significant at bats for Mark if they had him. He might just become the next Schwarber.

I would, right now, hope Mark works his butt off, hits 45 HRs if stuck in AAA all year, which I think he is capable of producing, and is the Mets DH next year. 

(For the record, in 682 AAA at bats, Vientos has 89 extra base hits, including 46 homers, and a .290 average, and history shows he does his best hitting when frigid upstate April weather ends).

Stearns may disagree, and trade him.

June 25 update: 

After those 2 Vientos homers Tuesday night, Stearns won’t trade Vientos. 

Not when I’d imagine 29 other teams would love to have him.

He looks like a real find, an everyday MLB slugger. He has arrived.

ACUNA HOT

Luisangel Acuna is riding an11 game hit streak, in which he has compiled 20 hits. Keep it up, LA.

RHYLAN THOMAS - THE SLUGGER??

Thomas has risen quickly to AAA, starting out in low A St Lucie in his first full season last year. 

Great batting average, very little power…until the last 10 games, anyway.

In his last 10 games, he has launched FIVE HRs, with 11 RBIs.

In his first 510 career at bats, he had 3 HRs, but 5 in his last 39 at bats. 

He seems to be taking the Jeff McNeil approach, where Jeff focused on powerless contact early in his minors career to prove he could hit for average, and then turned on the power.

In 2023 and 2024, he has had 501 at bats, hitting .310 (.282 this year in AA and AAA), with 31 doubles, 2 triples and 8 HRs. Moderate speed, stealing just 15 of 31 base attempts this year and last.

56 walks vs. just 60 Ks this year and last.

Just 3 minor league errors in 159 outfield games, with 9 assists.

Sounds like a solid future 4th OF to me.

OCA LAST NIGHT

Wasn’t effective, and allowed a 2 run HR, on a FB up in the zone. 

It looked straight and high 90s to me, but no radar gun reading that I saw. 

To me, Bryce seems to be moving along well as he readjusts post-TJS, although the result don’t yet reflect it.  No rush, we’ll see how he’s doing in a few weeks, as I imagine he will move up to Syracuse soon. A

It would be nice to have a 100 MPH arm for August and Sept in Queens.