RVH - So What Is Mark Vientos’ Role in 2026?

 

Mark Vientos doesn’t have a clean box on this roster. That’s not an accident — it’s the point.

If you’re looking at the 2026 Mets depth chart, staring at an infield that now includes Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco, and asking, “Where does Vientos play?” you’re asking the wrong question.

The real question is: What problem does he solve?

Vientos is not a starter — he’s a pressure valve

The 2026 Mets are not asking Mark Vientos to be an everyday cornerstone. That job is filled. Between the veteran infield arrivals and the presence of Juan Soto and Francisco Álvarez, the Mets finally have a defined offensive spine.

Vientos isn’t part of that spine. He’s the release valve when something in front of him tightens up.

That’s a massive shift from 2024, when he was asked to save the lineup, and 2025, when he was asked to grow up inside a broken one. In 2026, he isn’t being asked to carry anything. He’s being asked to add force.

That distinction matters.

The skill that keeps him relevant

There’s one reason Vientos still matters on this roster: right-handed power that plays off the bench.

Not theoretical power. Real, game-altering power that changes how opposing managers deploy bullpens in the seventh and eighth innings. This lineup already applies constant baseline pressure. When you bring Vientos into a game, you’re not asking him to create offense from nothing — you’re asking him to turn leverage into damage.

That’s a much cleaner use of his skill set.

Competing with game states

Vientos’ role lives in the margins, and this spring he’s increasingly finding them at first base.

As Carlos Mendoza manages Jorge Polanco’s workload — and that surgically repaired knee — the path for Vientos has become clearer. He isn’t competing with Lindor or Bichette for a spot. He’s competing with game states.

• The lefty specialist: Starting at DH or first base when a southpaw is on the mound.

• The high-leverage hammer: Pinch-hitting in the seventh with traffic on the bases and a left-handed reliever in the game.

• The rest-day insurance: Giving Polanco or Bichette a blow without the lineup losing its threat factor.
  
  

That’s not a fallback role. That’s intentional roster usage.

The Nicaragua spark

The World Baseball Classic is worth watching here.

Playing for Team Nicaragua isn’t just sentimental for Vientos — it’s strategic. He’s going to get high-intensity, middle-of-the-order reps in meaningful games, the kind of environment that can snap a “quiet bat” narrative quickly. While his Spring Training line has been light so far, the WBC offers a real chance to recalibrate timing and confidence before Opening Day.

If he finds that 2024 rhythm in Miami, he doesn’t walk back into Citi Field as a question mark. He walks back as a weapon.

Why this version of the Mets can actually support him

All of this only works if the roster around him is strong enough to absorb variance — and this one is.

The quiet difference between the 2026 Mets and previous versions is that this roster gives Vientos cover.

In the past, he was exposed by volume. The swing-and-miss and defensive limitations become glaring over 500 plate appearances. Used selectively, those flaws are muted. The Mets can protect him from his worst tendencies while leaning into his best ones.

Success for Vientos in 2026 doesn’t look like an everyday job or a defensive-improvement storyline.

Success looks like:

• 300–350 plate appearances

• Disproportionate damage relative to usage

• A handful of late-inning swings that flip games

That’s not settling. That’s role clarity.

The bottom line

Every serious contender has a player like this — someone who doesn’t define the team, but decides nights.

Mark Vientos is no longer a core piece of the Mets’ future. He’s something more specific. He’s the bat you reach for when the game tightens and the margins matter.

If David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza have the discipline to keep him in that lane, he fits this 2026 roster just fine.

Reese Kaplan -- Sometimes You Need to Read the Real Numbers

While a great deal of conversation, barroom drinking and antacid swallowing has already taken place over the man without a position — Brett Baty — not nearly as much focus has been given to his partner in baseball inconsistency — Mark Vientos.

Yes, we’re all aware of the 2024 season during which Mark Vientos seemed to emerge from nowhere to become a middle-of-the-order threat for the Mets.  A strong right handed hitter, Vientos finished the year with 413 ABs featuring a .266 average with 27 HRs and 71 RBIs.  If you increased those numbers by 20% to be conservative and to reflect a full time role for that season he would have been north of 32 HRs and 85 RBIs.  As a regular it would be even higher year end numbers.

Obviously going into the 2025 season the Mets felt they had a lethal middle of the order between Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos and Juan Soto.  And don’t forget Francisco Lindor.  Then add in the highly unpredictable Jose Siri and the oft injured Francisco Alvarez and it would appear that the Mets were chock full of home run potential for the yet-to-be-played season at this point last Spring.  On the bench you also had some combination of Starling Marte, Jesse Winker and Brett Baty who all could launch a long ball now and then. 

Well, as they often say, the best laid plans of mice and men (and Mets fans) oft go awry.  Soto, Alonso, Nimmo and Lindor all were quite solid in what they provided at the plate.  Injuries derailled Siri, Marte, Winker and Alvarez for long stretches of the year.  Vientos seemed to forget the skills he demonstrated in 2024 and that failure emerged into an opportunity for heretofore unproductive Brett Baty.  For a matter of numbers, Baty finished the year hitting .254 with 18 HRs and 50 RBIs over 393 ABs.  For comparison Vientos hit a modest .233 with 17 HRs and 61 RBIs with about 70 additional ABs. 

Somehow people conclude now that Baty is the second coming of Brooks Robinson.  Yes, he did show decent glove work both at third base and second base during the season but his offensive explosion (to hear Baty fans tell it) was not really all that much.  Vientos was superior in 2024 and even in a bad year in 2025 drove in more runners.

Now we hear Baty is the new right fielder.  Or the new first baseman.  Or the new DH.  No one really knows as you cannot parallel the offensive potential of Bo Bichette with Brett Baty.  Then there’s the $20 million per year given to middle infielder Jorge Polanco to take over at first base.  Or DH.  No one knows who is going to play right field (including David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza).

Surprisingly Vientos played a game at first base and showed better defense there than anyone would have anticipated given his lead glove at third base.  Some people think Vientos’ future is at DH, fewer support the notion of him crossing the diamond permanently to replace Pete Alonso in the field.  The majority, however, are more inclined to write him off entirely for his inability to hit the baseball. 

A reminder — over 1091 ABs during this major league career he’s hit 54 HRs and driven in 157 while hitting just .239.  Baty on the back of his major league baseball card has had 937 ABs with 33 HRs, 105 RBIs and a .232 batting average.  What is it that I’m not seeing about the Baty fervor?  Increase his numbers by 15% to match Vientos’ opportunities and he still falls short.

Now no one is suggesting they are of equal value.  Vientos is still a defensive black hole.  Baty (out of necessity) is proving his defensive versatility.  However, no matter how you slice it Vientos is a more productive hitter.  As a DH option they have had worse.  Remember Daniel Vogelbach?  For now the two extra men on the roster do not have clearly defined roles but it is important to evaluate them fairly.  

Reese Kaplan -- Is David Stearns Baseball Similar to the de Roulet Era?

Back in the de Roulet days Mets fans and sportswriters watched in horrid frustration as the team would bypass prime trade candidates and free agent opportunities to push the youngsters and AAAA players through the system in the hopes that one or more of them would catch fire and provide greater value than was anticipated.

Sometimes that approach actually worked.  No one thought much of the addition of Rick Reed to the pitching staff when it happened and instead focused on his picket-line crossing when he needed to buy a home for his soon to be destitute family who were losing their home due to ongoing medical expenses from his uninsured mother who suffered from diabetes.

Unfortunately, if you want to go in the other direction you can fill several rosters of great hopefuls who never fulfilled the best of what coaches and ownership fantasized about happening on the ballfield.  For every Lenny Randle there were numerous others who demonstrated why they’d not only never played in the All Star game but never even amounted to major league regulars in their other baseball employment. 

Things got a bit better during the Wilpon era when real ballplayers arrived and towards that end it was somewhat more parallel to what Steve Cohen did during his ownership.  We all remember the arrivals of credible ballplayers and promotion of solid prospects who did contribute to winning records in many of that era’s seasons.

Right now, however, the Mets fans are trying very hard to be optimistic and excited about all the new faces on the roster as the club progresses towards the start of the 2026 season.  Right now Bo Bichette is showing growing pains at 3rd base.  Jorge Polanco has not yet shown anything at 1st base though he’s allegedly consulting now broadcaster Keith Hernandez about what he needs to do to field the position.  Those roles are well covered and at this point the general consensus is that it’s too soon to panic as there is more than a month to go before the season begins.

However, the de Roulet flashback has taken hold over how other positions are being addressed.  While everyone this side of David Stearns is holding out hope that rookie Carson Benge can catapult himself over a dismal showing in AAA to take over right field, the alternatives are not all that enticing.  Mike Tauchman hit a big home run in his first game for the Mets but putting all your eggs into a 35 year old basket of a AAAA level player with a career .246 batting average is not exactly setting off celebrations.  He’s never had a 500 AB season in his long career.  Ugh.

Behind him you have a younger but even less capable MJ Melendez who flamed out with the Royals.  Yes, his minor league numbers are intriguing, but after having struggled for parts of four seasons, averaging 17 HRs and 54 RBIs per 500 ABs accompanied by a .215 career batting average.  As a 4th outfielder he’s a candidate, but as a starter?  Really?   

While many late preseason additions are being made it would appear that unless they really are going to bum rush Benge into starting they have little on the back burners as substitutes.  They could pivot to the never before outfielder in Brett Baty, but that would then make for three very unknown defensive question marks in the starting lineup. 

Of course, the DH question is very much the same.  As of now will it be Baty?  Will it be Mark Vientos?  Will it be a platoon?  Will they find this year’s over-the-hill DH candidate in free agency?  Andrew McCutchen is still out there are are a handful of former Mets in Starling Marte, Tommy Pham, and Jesse Winker.  They missed out on the minor league contract addition of Michael Conforto, but there you go.  Sitting and waiting while doing nothing of substance has not exactly worked wonders for the upcoming season.

Ernest Dove: My New York Mets Top 30 Prospect List: #11 Jonathan Santucci

 

Ernest Dove's pick for #metsbaseball #11 ranked player in #Mets organization is SP Jonathan Santucci. I give insights, projections, who can replace in current rotation and more! #baseballteam #mlb #newyorkmets #metstalk #nymets

For more of Ernest's wisdom and lots of great Mets Prospect Videos subscribe to Ernest's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ernestdove.

You can also catch Ernest on X (formerly known as Twitter). 

Watch on YouTube or below. 

Open Thread - Who impressed most so far in spring training?

Five games into the spring training schedule, the Mets have already had some great performances (think Carson Benge going 3-3 against the Cardinals) and some dreadful performances (13 walks in one game?).

None of these is quite ready for passing judgement yet, as baseball is a game that is best evaluated over large sample sets.  But it is fun to get the discussion going, as many are already projecting who will make the April roster.

Share your highs and lows in the comments.

Alex Rubinson - Bichette's Defense is not a Reason to Panic

                                 

Heading into the offseason, the New York Mets were tasked with shoring up its pitching staff in an effort to surrender fewer runs. As analytics has continued to take over baseball, it has come to the forefront that pitching isn’t the only way to keep opposing offenses off of the scoreboard. Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns made it clear when he came over to Queens that his organization was going to focus on team defense and overall run prevention. 

Run prevention was a goal during Stearns’ time with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he was clearly going to emphasize it heading into the 2026 season. Run prevention was cited as one of the key reasons the franchise decided to let fan favorite Pete Alonso walk to Baltimore to suit up for the Orioles. It’s why the team willingly traded away another homegrown talent in Brandon Nimmo for an aging Marcus Semien. The team was willing to sacrifice offense in order to play a cleaner defensive brand of baseball. 

In the later portion of the offseason, the Mets made a blockbuster signing that didn’t necessarily line up with the overall offseason agenda. After missing out on Kyle Tucker to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets quickly pivoted and inked Bo Bichette to a three-year deal worth $42 million annually. Bichette has never been known for his defense and now was going to be asked to play a position he had never played, third base, also known as the hot corner. 

The bold move was rightfully questioned and was even thrusted into the spotlight after one of Bichette’s throws from third in the early goings of spring training was off line to Jose Rojas at first base. People are going to continue to question the decision to sign Bichette and play him at a position he has never played before. The Mets aren’t going to get the benefit of the doubt, but the move to the hot corner for the former Toronto Blue Jay might not be as strange as it appears on paper. 

When the Blue Jays made the fall classic last year, Bichette was forced to move off of shortstop due to a knee injury he suffered towards the end of the regular season. Although shortstop was the position Bichette had only known, the move was destined to occur sooner or later. Last season, Bichette ranked dead last in outs above average with -13. He was tied with J.P. Crawford of the Seattle Mariners for 37th place. As a reminder, there are only 30 MLB organizations. Since 2019, when Bichette made his debut, he was 38th out of the 41 qualifiers with a -33 outs above average at the position.

One of the most significant reasons a move off of the position was a formality was due to Bichette’s range. Unlike any other position in the infield, shortstop requires one to possess the best range skills, moving both to the left and right. With recent guidelines that have prevented teams from shifting, Bichette’s range deficiencies could no longer be masked around the diamond. 

At third base, Bichette’s range will not be tested nearly to the same extent. His first step quickness will be an area he will be forced to hone in on, but his lateral skills won’t be a major area of concern. Moving over to third, his arm will be tested more than it was a shortstop. Don’t get me wrong, one needs a strong arm to play shortstop, but arm strength will be tested at a much more consistent rate when playing at third. Bichette’s arm strength may have only been 36th at the position in 2025, but that does compare favorably to other players. 

Bichette averaged 82.3 MPH on his throws from last season. That ranked just below the Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith, who played over 30 games at third base last season (and also multiple contests in the outfield). Bichette’s arm tested better than the man who will be playing to his left for the upcoming year. 

Lindor’s average was over a full mile-per-hour lower than Bichette. Maybe it’s due to his size, but Corey Seager is seen across the league as someone with a bazooka for an arm, yet he only averaged only just over 80 MPH on his throws. Bichette being 36th in arm strength at shortstop actually stations him as league average for the position. When transitioning over to third base, Bichette’s arm would tie Alex Bregman among third baseman and be well ahead of Cincinnati Reds’ Ke’Bryan Hayes, who is well-known for his defense, along with last year’s Mets third baseman, Brett Baty. 

Fast forward to this past Tuesday, Bichette showed his instincts by making a nice bar-handed grab before firing an on-target throw to first base for the out. Sometimes we need a reminder that it’s February. Across the Grapefruit and Cactus league, there is going to be some ugly baseball and ugly plays. This goes for everyone, even among players who are stationed at the same spot they’ve been playing for over a decade. I am not trying to make an argument that Bichette will turn into a gold glover at third base. 

Don’t expect any Brooks Robinson comparisons, but the hot corner fits Bichette’s skillset better than even shortstop does at this point in his career. There are going to be growing pains, but Bichette should be able to settle in and offer league average play at the position. Even if it dips slightly below the league average, the value that Bichette’s bat will provide to the lineup should do more than just offset his third base play. 

When the move was made, it definitely seemed to deviate from what Stearns and company had been preaching all offseason, but the Mets are an improved defensive ballclub, and Bichette’s presence should not take away from any of that.  

Paul Articulates – Who stays? Part 6: The Finale

With a re-designed core and many new players and a deep reserve of prospects, this year’s spring training will become an intriguing competition for spots on the opening day 26-man roster.  

This series has looked at the players that are in position to compete for a slot on that roster but were not a lock.  After discussing them in position groups in the prior five posts, I now pull it together with my projected opening day roster.

Based upon MLB rules that allow only 26 players on the active roster from opening day through August 31st, and my belief that the Mets will use the maximum of 13 pitchers, this is what will be posted on the clubhouse door when the team heads towards game one of the 2026 season.

Infielders: Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, Ronny Mauricio

Outfielders: Juan Soto, Luis Robert Jr., Tyrone Taylor, MJ Melendez, Brett Baty

Catchers: Francisco Alvarez; Luis Torrens

Designated Hitters: Mark Vientos

Starting Pitchers: RHP Freddy Peralta, RHP Nolan McLean, RHP Clay Holmes, RHP Kodai Senga, LHP David Peterson

Relief Pitchers: LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Tobias Myers, RHP Christian Scott, RHP Luis Garcia, RHP Devin Williams, RHP Luke Weaver, LHP Brooks Raley, LHP Nate Lavender

That was a tough list to finalize this early in the spring without performance history from this year.  There are some notable absences from this roster that will be painful, last minute cuts if no one gets hurt before opening day.  As we head into March, a little bit of March Madness bracket terminology would help:

Last four in: Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, Christian Scott, Nate Lavender

First four out: Mike Tauchman, Carson Benge, Dylan Ross, Jonah Tong

Give me your thoughts on this roster in the comments!

RVH - Mets 2026 Season: A 93-Win “Thought Experiment”

 

As we settle into the first week of Spring Training, the air is thick with the usual optimism. But rather than just hoping for a “good year,” let’s treat 2026 as a thought experiment.

If we assume a successful season — specifically a 93-win campaign that likely clinches a premium Wildcard and possibly the NL East — what does the math actually require?

To answer that, we have to stop debating individual players in isolation and start examining how wins are actually distributed across a 162-game season.

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Reverse-Engineering a 93-Win Season

Every MLB season breaks down into three broad “game type buckets”:

• The Blowouts (~30% / 48–50 games):
  Games decided by five or more runs. These preserve bullpens, inflate run differential, and usually reflect talent gaps.
  
  

• The Close Calls (~30% / 48–50 games):
  One-run games. Often framed as coin flips, but for elite teams, they are stress tests of pitching leverage and late-inning structure.
  
  

• The Competitive Middle (~40% / 62–65 games):
  Games decided by two to four runs. This is the fulcrum of the season, where roster floor, defense, and execution quietly determine outcomes.
  
  

If the Mets are serious about winning 93 games, the path runs directly through these buckets.

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1. Dominating the Blowout Bucket

The Goal: 32–35 wins

The Process:
To reach 93 wins, you must win the games you should win — and win them convincingly.

The additions of Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, and Freddy Peralta aren’t just about star power or name recognition. They’re about lineup length and redundancy. The intent is to turn games that hover on the edge of competitiveness into decisive outcomes before leverage ever becomes relevant.

In recent down years, the Mets hovered around 15–20 blowout wins. The 93-win model requires pushing that number toward the mid-30s, insulating the team against inevitable cold streaks elsewhere.

Blowouts don’t just pad the standings. They reduce stress on every other bucket.

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2. Tilting the One-Run “Coin Flip” (Pitching-Led)

The Goal: 23–25 wins (.600 winning percentage)

The Process:
In 2025, the Mets played 66 one-run games and won just 31 of them (.470). A 93-win team cannot allow these games to be governed by hope.

This isn’t about “beating variance.” It’s about preventing variance from dictating the season — and that burden falls primarily on pitching.

The addition of Freddy Peralta gives the Mets a starter capable of carrying narrow leads deeper into games, reducing early bullpen exposure. More broadly, a healthier starting staff changes the shape of these contests. Fewer short starts mean fewer innings asked of the bullpen before leverage truly matters.

At the back end, the Mets have layered relief options rather than relying on a single choke point. Devin Williams anchors the ninth, while Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, and Meyers form a deeper, more flexible bridge. No single arm has to be perfect; the structure absorbs off nights.

When the margin is one run, pitching depth and sequencing matter more than vibes.

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3. Winning the Competitive Middle (The Season’s Fulcrum)

The Goal: 36–38 wins

The Process:
This is where seasons are quietly won and lost.

Blowouts flatter talent. One-run games test leverage. But the competitive middle reveals whether a roster has a floor.

Here, the gains come from accumulation rather than flash. Improved infield defense, more athletic outfield coverage, lineup balance from both sides, and fewer pitching breakdowns all combine to reduce self-inflicted damage. These are the games where a single extra baserunner or defensive lapse flips the outcome.

Historically, this is where Mets seasons have cracked — not loudly, but incrementally.

The 2026 roster is designed to leak less in these spots.

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4. Sustaining the 162-Game Horizon

The Goal: Avoiding the second-half fade

The Process:
We’ve seen this movie before. In both 2021 and 2025, the Mets collapsed under the accumulated tax of earlier months. Wins borrowed in April and May came due in September.

A 93-win season requires a second-half winning percentage north of .540. That doesn’t come from “trying harder.” It comes from depth — across the lineup, the rotation, and the bullpen — so the roster doesn’t hollow out when the calendar turns.

Depth isn’t a luxury. It’s variance insurance.

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The Takeaway

The 2026 Mets aren’t just hoping the stars align. Through the lens of the Mets Process, a 93-win season is a series of mathematical benchmarks tied to structural intent.

For the first time in the Cohen era, the roster appears designed to absorb the variance of a 162-game season rather than be broken by it.

When the season begins, we won’t just be watching for home runs or radar-gun readings. We’ll be watching the one-run games, the competitive middle, and the long horizon — the places where this model either proves durable or quietly fails.

That’s where the math will tell us the truth.