Brooks Robinson (you remember the guy, Hall of Famer, human vacuum cleaner at 3rd base, Yada Yada) made 263 errors at 3B in his career, with a .971 fielding %.
Mark Vientos has 6 errors at 3rd in his career, and a .977 fielding % at 3rd.
And .984 with just 3 errors at 3rd this year, through Monday.
- Everyone wants to get the latter guy off third base, though…except me.
Mets’ best ever career slugging %? Mike Piazza, .542.
Mark Vientos this year? .551.
Which ties him for 10th highest in a single season, as a Met.
- Everyone wanted Baty over him early this year…except me.
Mark Vientos has 27 HRs in 390 at bats since September 1 last year.
- Pete Alonso has 27 HRs this year, but in 497 at bats.
Written by me about Mark in November 2022:
….Mark's last 2 seasons, 2021 and .2022:
.281/.355/.545. 34 doubles and 49 HRs in 688 at bats.
Better than Duda (in the minors).
Mark seemingly demonstrated a somewhat higher willingness to swing for the big fly rather than try to work out walks.
And...Duda was still only in A ball at the same age.
Personally, I think Vientos will overcome his tentativeness and be smacking more big flies than Lucas did, over the same period of at bats.
I would tell Vientos this:
Don't be tentative. You will succeed. You will hit with a lot of power. Just be aggressive on swinging at strikes. Walks are nice. HRs are a lot nicer. The walks will naturally increase when pitchers fear your ability to put up large HR #'s.
Pretty much what has happened. Mark was a 2nd rounder (# 59) at age 17 in 2017. A wise pick indeed. So, he isn't fleet afoot, so he isn't good defensively (except he is), he has a booming bat, to all fields, and a classic swing, and it was a great pick, actually.
TRANSITION......TRANSITION:
I saw an article indicating that the transition for hitters from AAA to the majors has never been more difficult. Pitching, compared to the minors, is beastly. It took Vientos a while, and he has crossed the Rubicon. Maybe Brittle Baty can do so next year. But, keep that transition thingy in mind with Mauricio. He has missed a full season. That is yet another obstacle to a successful major league season in 2025.
BRANDON SPROAT SPUTTERS:
He was great for 4 innings on Tuesday, but in the 5th, 2 HRs, 2 hit batsmen and 4 runs. That AAA stop off is proving to be completely necessary in this, his first pro season. He will still start for the Mets in 2025.
METS WHIFFED ON TARIK SKUBAL:
A 2024 lefty beast drafted by the Tigers in 2018, round 9, #255 overall.
The Mets drafted nice guy and fellow lefty hurler Kevin Smith with the 200th pick. Smith ran into a common malady - he looked very good in the low minors, never made it out of the high minors. Another site's review of Smith at draft time indicated his fastball sat at 88-91 MPH. If so, frankly, why pick him? Don't EVER draft 88-91 guys. They are BP for MLB pitchers.
A Mets' oft-repeated saga. Dave Clark Five says it happens "Over and over and over again."
Skubal, though? A high 90s strikeout machine. 15-3, 2.58, 193 Ks in 160 IP. High 90s is MLB-tough.
I know, "the draft is a crap shoot. Other teams passed on him, too."
Yada, yada, yada.
The Mets drafts? Exhibited expertise in "crap".
DEGROM IS CLOSE:
Threw 100 last night in a strong 2 inning rehab outing. Maybe the Mets should have traded for him for the stretch drive. Given up Baty in exchange.
BENGE IS BASHING:
For St Lucie, 9 for 27, 8 walks, 2 HRs, .514 OBP. Instantly their best hitter.
Looks like a fine first round pick, based on early returns.
FUJINAMI IS STINGY
1, his control is better of late. He is still not Bret Saberhagen.
2, in his last 18.2 innings over the past several weeks, just 3 hits allowed.
WYATT YOUNG HALF AND HALF
On base 50% in21 August games.
Diaz chokes, yet again, loses, everyone else winning, season over.
ReplyDeleteBad 2019, abbreviated 2020, decent 2021, brilliant 2022, MIA 2023, bad 2024. Highly, highly disappointing. Saboteur.
Make Dedniel the closer.
Make Fujinami the closer.
ReplyDeleteGiven the Mets underwhelming drafts, it’s not a surprise that the team recently announced that it was letting more than a dozen (maybe closer to 20?) people go from their various scouting departments. We mostly won’t see the results of this (at least on the amateur scouting side) for years. But Stearns has gotta start somewhere, and after making big changes to their development team, and with a year to evaluate the talent now in the org that has been drafted over the past several years, it’s a welcome development.
ReplyDeleteThis season has been exciting at times, but of course we ended up in the worst of all possible worlds. On the outside looking in, having bypassed the opportunity to trade off some pretty valuable expiring contracts to bolster the (mostly disappointing) farm system. Oy.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteMaybe in addition to pursuing the best free agents in 2025, we need to pursue the best draft scouts from our rival teams. If those scouts can find draft prospects for other teams, then hire them to do the same for the Mets. Damn sure time to do something.
Adam, I added an article about kerosene tomorrow. But yes, it all starts with the farm. We've had decades of damaged crops.
ReplyDeleteDJ, insanity is doing the same thing over and over. It simply costs too much to try to build a team via free agency. I have had so many articles over the years about abysmal Mets drafting and who they missed out on. Maybe by 2030 the drafting will be top tier. Give Stearns full rein and time to fix that. Keep him like the Yanks have kept Cashman, who got the Yanks Soto and Jazz, without whom they'd be out of the Wild Card race like the Mets..
ReplyDeleteI, too, was an early advocate for Vientos. He is still a below average third baseman. Simply has no range.
ReplyDeleteWhen the chips are down:
ReplyDeleteMets pitch well, don't hit well.
Mets hit well, don't pitch well.
Mets pitch and hit well, leave it to the manager to mess it up.
Diaz, as I said before, lost his gravitas. I have no confidence in his ability to close games especially those games that are close.
The Mets should move on and use someone else to close. I don't care if Diaz is making crazy money. Performance should be what makes up the closer, not salary.
On our drafts and the DC5 we've been too long with "Bits and Pieces" and I want to feel "Glad All Over" for a change.
ReplyDeleteGary, Glad All Over was a great song. The Mets too often leave us Sad All Over.
ReplyDeleteRay, Vientos may be our future 1B, but I can live with him at 3B, especially if he sets the Mets record for HRs by a 3B next year.
ReplyDeleteViper, Diaz except for 2022 has been less than the sum of the parts. His fastball has life and movement, even if less velocity. It is still fast. So, ride that pitch, not the slider.
ReplyDelete