Mark Vientos Feels Relief Heading into Trade Deadline

Mark Vientos admitted to feeling “certainly worried” as he listened to trade rumors and discussions surrounding his name before the deadline.

Despite the tension, Vientos had started to find a rhythm at the plate. After battling a tough slump and recovering from hamstring issues, he managed to regain some consistency reminiscent of his performances earlier in the season.

When the clock hit 6 PM on Thursday, he felt a wave of relief when he remained with the Mets.

However, his future role appears complicated. Being a designated hitter while competing against a crowded pool of positional players makes it challenging for him. This led to his being replaced by a pinch hitter in a Friday night game, and even with ten hits to match his career high, he didn’t see action in Saturday’s 12-6 win against the Giants.

Ultimately, Vientos feels like he’s rediscovering his “normal self” at the plate.

“I’m moving in the right direction, so it feels good,” he shared before the game on Saturday. “I feel like I’m improving because I’m moving forward rather than backwards. That’s all I can ask for.”

Yet, the glaring absence of power remains a prominent issue for him. Coming into Saturday’s match with seven home runs, he noted that was just two more than what he achieved in the entire postseason last year, and he only managed one in his last 27 games.

Things started to shift around the Mets’ series against the Orioles in early July. Vientos began generating hits—notable performances even included games with multiple hits. Since the series, he’s hit .317 with a .795 OPS and 10 RBIs.

During the rough start to the season, he constantly sought adjustments in his swing mechanics. Ultimately, he realized he needed to simplify rather than overthink the layers of his swing.

Vientos acknowledged he must regain strength and consistency in his hitting to showcase his full potential further. He still has work to do to solidify his position against right-handed pitchers as the designated hitter.

After a difficult journey in 2025, following a so-called “perfect” season in 2024, Vientos felt he might have found some clarity by ending the relentless search for adjustments.

“That’s where you create a slump,” he reflected on his mechanics. “…When guys go bad, they can’t separate the two, and it took a little time to figure it out, but I’m glad I understood it.”