What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets beat the Rays in the opener of their series down in St. Pete by the score of 3-2 (Box)
RHP Robert Stock started for the Mets and was excellent, allowing just five hits in 5.1 scoreless innings to earn his first MLB win since 2019
Starting at DH in his first game back from the injured list, Mark Vientos crushed a solo home run after hitting three home runs on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse
Protecting a one run lead in the 9th, RHP Kodai Senga pitched around a leadoff walk to secure the save
Roster Moves 📰
OF Luis Robert Jr. claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles (story)
IF Mark Vientos activated from 10-Day IL
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Justin Hagenman (fractured rib) is expected to rejoin the Mets and make a start on Wednesday in an effort to give the Mets young pitchers extra rest
Play of the Game 🔥
The biggest play of this game was a pretty obvious one. With the Mets up 1-0 in the bottom of the 5th—with the help of a defensive miscue by Francisco Lindor—the Rays loaded the bases with nobody out.
Robert Stock didn’t flinch, though, getting Taylor Walls to foul out and striking out Yandy Diaz. That brought Jonathan Aranda to the plate with two outs, and he promptly scorched a line drive to the left center field gap. Christopher Morel raced to his and had to make an acrobatic leap once he got there, but he secured the catch to end the inning and preserve the Mets’ momentum.
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
In the latest edition of The Just Mets Podcast, Rich discussed the departure of Luis Robert Jr., his tenure with the Mets, and the returns of both Nick Morabito and Mark Vientos to the major leagues.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Down on the Farm 🌾
All Mets minor league affiliates were off on Monday
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (62-76) @ Rays (82-55)
Where: Tropicana Field - St. Petersburg, FL
Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (4-6, 4.55 ERA) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (6-11, 5.11 ERA)
When: 6:40 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
The enigmatic Mark Vientos ✍️
Since the time he was drafted in the 2nd round back in 2017, has there been a more enigmatic player in the Mets organization than Mark Vientos?
The right-handed slugger consistently hammered minor league pitching early in his professional career, but always struggled to hit in the Major Leagues.
The lack of a defined role during his early big league opportunities likely played a part in that, but Vientos didn’t do himself many favors in limited action in both 2022 and 2023.
But then came the 2024 season that was magical for these Mets for so many reasons. He emerged as one of the organization’s most valuable offensive players during their playoff run and a rising star in New York that summer, claiming the everyday third base job and slashing .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs in only 111 games.
Everything about that season screamed the Mets had finally found their first long-term answer at the hot corner since David Wright, but unfortunately, as we well know, that’s not how things played out.
Last year Vientos’ offensive slash line cratered, and while he still hit 17 home runs, his OPS dropped 136 points while he ultimately gave the starting third base job back to Brett Baty.
Vientos came to spring training this season as a man without a real role following the team’s additions of Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco.
He did make the team out of camp, but at-bats were hard to come by early on, and while he eventually did start to play more regularly, consistent production was few and far between and only further exposed his issues defensively.
Vientos went on the injured list in early July after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, and once he got healthy, his last week or so in the minors has gone about as predictably as possible. On his rehab assignment Vientos dominated in Triple-A, even crushing three home runs in a game on Sunday afternoon.
Manager Andy Green was honest and blunt when asked what Vientos’ role could be when he returned to the big club, admitting that he would not have a clean pathway to regular playing time.
With the Rays throwing a lefty last night, though, he was indeed in the starting lineup as the DH in his first game back, and he capitalized by hitting a home run.
Because, of course, he did.
Vientos is someone who possesses as much raw power as anyone in the game. He has all the tools to be a dominant power hitter in this league, but at some point, after six years, it becomes hard to believe it’s ever going to come together consistently for him. His problems defensively don’t help his case, either, since it’s hard to really put him in the field for even a single game because he can be so generally poor out there.
But Monday offered a glimpse of what Vientos can be offensively. Those glimpses need to be far more consistent if he is going to stick in the big leagues and even survive the winter with the Mets. He has the power, but would even a good month at this point make a difference in their opinion on such a fractional player?
In the end, Vientos has been among the least valuable players by fWAR this season. When that’s coupled with Baty’s season and how much playing time both have received, that helps explain why— at least in part— the club’s season went off the rails so early.
Obviously, one good game last night does not do much of anything to move the needle as it pertains to his future with the team, but I did enjoy the irony of his long ball, because it just completely fits the script Vientos has been writing with this organization for his entire career.
Around the League 🚩
Rafael Devers crushed his 30th home run of the season in the Giants 7-3 win in Atlanta
Michael King went six scoreless innings to lead the Padres to a 5-0 road victory over the Reds
Daylen Lile went 3-for-3 with a pair of homers, driving in four runs to power the Nationals to a 6-3 home win over Miami
Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story delivered a walk off hit in the 11th inning to propel Boston to a 9-8 wild win over the Mariners
Alex Bregman hit three of the Cubs nine home runs in a 17-3 rout of the Brew Crew at Wrigley
Bye, bye Mark. Bye, bye Ba--ty. Hello Bo Bichette. I think we will be fine. Uh bye-bye you two bye-bye! 🎶🎤
Vientos has had more than 1,300 major league ABs. This is who he is. I think it's past the time to move on.