Mark Vientos is showing signs of a potential breakout
Is the 2024 version of Vientos close to returning? Plus, Kodai Senga makes a successful return as the Mets take the opener in Kansas City...
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What’s up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets got some much-needed clutch hitting on the way to beating the Royals 8-3 in Kansas City on Friday night (box)
RHP Kodai Senga marked his return in style, delivering four shutout innings with four hits and two walks allowed and four strikeouts
Trailing 3-1 in the eighth, DH Mark Vientos laced a bases-clearing double to give his team the lead again
SS Francisco Lindor hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth, which was immediately followed by RF Juan Soto going yard to help put the game away for good
RHP Reed Garrett and RHP Chris Devenski both pitched shutout innings without giving up a hit to secure the win
Roster Moves 📰
RHP Kodai Senga returned from rehab assignment and reinstated from the 15-Day Injured List
RHP Justin Hagenman optioned to Triple-A Syracuse following Thursday’s doubleheader
OF Jesse Winker placed on the 10-Day Injured List with back inflammation
RHP Austin Warren returned to Triple-A Thursday night after serving as the 27th player, and was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday
INF Jared Young recalled from Triple-A Syracuse
RHP Rico Garcia designated for assignment
Injury Updates 🏥
DH Starling Marte (right knee soreness) had a “very encouraging” MRI on Friday, despite there still being some inflammation. Marte could resume running as soon as this weekend, and the hope is he’ll be back coming out of the All-Star break
RHP Paul Blackburn (right shoulder impingement) threw a bullpen session in Kansas City on Friday. He is expected to throw another one on Sunday and, if all goes well, will face hitters in Port St. Lucie during the break
Play of the Game 🌟
There is no doubt about this one.
Trailing 3-1 in the eighth inning, all looked lost for the Mets given that the offense was offering nothing yet again. Up to that point, the lineup had combined for just two hits all night.
Clutch hitting was also proving to be a problem - yet again - with Mark Vientos striking out with the bases loaded in the third inning.
Redemption would come, however.
With the bases loaded once again in the eighth, Vientos came to the plate and, this time, he delivered.
He sent a double into the right-field gap to clear the bases and score all three runners, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead late.
It was without doubt the biggest hit of the entire game, and it was a huge moment for Vientos who has looked lost for most of the year.
Down on the Farm 🌾
3B Luke Ritter (Triple-A): 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 RBI
LHP Jonathan Santucci (No. 11 prospect, Double-A): 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
2B Jett Williams (No. 1 prospect, Double-A): 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, 1 SB
C Kevin Parada (Double-A): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 2B
2B Jeremy Rodriguez (No. 10 prospect, Single-A): 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 SB
1B Vincent Perozo (Single-A): 3-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (54-41) at Royals (46-49)
Where: Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MO
Starters: RHP Frankie Montas (1-1, 6.14 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.61 ERA)
When: 4:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Mets get encouraging outings from two potential X-Factors… ✍️
As important as Friday night’s win in Kansas City was, getting key contributions from a certain two players was arguably more crucial.
Kodai Senga and Mark Vientos were both at the heart of beating the Royals, and both players offered a tantalizing glimpse of what they could offer in the second half of the season.
After all, if the Mets want to meet expectations this year and emerge as a true contender, they will need Senga and Vientos at the peak of their powers.
Period.
Therefore, Friday could be a huge step in the right direction for two players with a lot to offer - and a lot to prove - after the All-Star break.
Let’s start with Vientos.
It would be a massive understatement to say that Vientos has struggled for most of the 2025 season. The slugger has looked lost at the plate, and his already questionable defense at the hot corner has become even more of a problem. When you throw in injuries too, then this has been a nightmare year for the man his teammates love to call “Swaggy V.”
As Justin Mears pointed out earlier in the week, Vientos has really struggled against sliders, and that’s played a vital role in why he’s hitting just .217/.275/.350 on the year with a .625 OPS. What has also been alarming has been the fact that Vientos hasn’t been able to come up with the big hit in the biggest moments as he did so many times throughout the 2024 season.
Vientos has largely been non-competitive, and he has gone from being a game-changer to a net negative. He’s also stunk with runners in scoring position, hitting just .136 on the year.
That was evident in the third inning when Vientos - who entered Friday hitting just .213 - struck out with the bases loaded. He snapped his bat in half, displaying the frustration we’ve all felt over the third baseman this year.
But baseball is a wonderful sport because it offers a shot at redemption almost immediately.
Vientos came to the plate in the eighth inning with the bases loaded once again. And, with the Mets trailing 3-1, the stage was set for the DH to finally, finally, finally produce a big moment.
It was worth the wait.
Vientos laced a double in the right-field gap, clearing the bases and scoring all three runners to turn the 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Those runs proved to be the winning runs with the top of the lineup going off in the ninth to bring home the win.
For Vientos, the three-run double snapped a streak of 13 games without an RBI. It was also undoubtedly Vientos’ biggest hit of the year, and one the Mets will be hoping will lead to a gargantuan turnaround after the All-Star break.
Hopefully that heroic moment will unlock the version of Vientos we’ve all been waiting for all year.
Vientos’ heroics wasn’t the only major positive from Friday, of course.
As mentioned above, Senga made his return to the mound and immediately showed why he will be an important X-Factor for this team in the second half.
It wasn’t exactly a straightforward night for the righty, however.
He faced a lot of traffic, including giving up hits to the first two Royals he faced. Two strikeouts and a liner ensured that Senga got through his first inning back unscathed. He faced more traffic in the second and third innings, and needed his defense to help him out after issuing back-to-back walks in the second. Then, after facing more traffic in the third, Senga leaned on his nasty forkball to get the final out before finishing his first start back with a perfect fourth inning.
In all, Senga allowed no runs and just four hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts over four innings and 67 pitches.
As a result, he lowered his ERA to 1.39 on the year.
Furthermore, Senga also showed - as he did before getting hurt - that he can battle through adversity and tough out an outing even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. That’s a true hallmark of an elite pitcher.
Of course, we’ve been here before. Senga will now need to prove that he can stay healthy the rest of the way in 2025. As for Vientos, he’s shown signs of breaking out on a few occasions this year, but has never been able to build on it. This time has to be different.
If the Mets are going to make a lot of noise deep into October, they will need Senga to stay healthy and pitch at a Cy Young level. They will also need Vientos to be the hitter he was in 2024, and take over games like he did during his first taste of the postseason.
Granted, it is just one game, but Friday night was a welcome reminder of how dangerous this team can be when two of its biggest X-Factors are contributing in a big way.
Around the League 🚩
CF Cody Bellinger became the first player in MLB history to hit three home runs in his first game against his former team as the Yankees shelled the Cubs, 11-0
C Cal Raleigh blasted his 37th and 38th home runs of the year in Seattle’s 12-3 win over the Tigers, setting the AL record for most homers before the All-Star break
Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski was named an All-Star despite having made just five career MLB appearances
SS Willy Adames hit a two-run triple and a home run to help lead the Giants past the Dodgers, 8-7
CF Ceddanne Rafaela launched a walk-off two-run home run over the Green Monster as the Red Sox beat the Rays, 5-4
The Mets would not have gotten as deep into the playoffs last year without Mark. Not unusual for a young player to slump a bit the next year . I would forget about what's happened till now, and pencil him in every day this month, then reevaluate. I'm way more concerned about the pitching.
I've been waiting, waiting, waiting (not too patiently) for Vientos to do some damage. Naturally, I dozed off before his base-clearing double last night. But today's game (4:10) is right in my wheelhouse. Do it again, Mark!!!!
Plus: These rain delays and postponements are getting tiresome and certainly aren't doing the pitching staff any good. No one to complain about makes it worse, for me. 😀
Power sweeping into the break is the plan