PORT STREET LUCIE — Mark Vientos always knew his potential on the opposite field, but it rarely translated into hits during his first experience in MLB life. Three of his nine home runs last year went to right-center field. A few singles on the right. He has one home run inside the area in 2022. That’s it.
So when the ball Vientos launched toward the right field line ended up going over the fence on Sunday, coach Carlos Mendoza said it was “good to see.”
Vientos got off to a slow start in spring training and entered the weekend hitting .143 before going 3-for-7 heading into Monday’s Mets-Marlins game at Clover Park. At this time he was a designated hitter.
Recent success doesn’t mean Vientos will emerge as the Mets’ third baseman when camp opens.
To do that, he would need to defeat incumbent Brett Beatty. Vientos may have to settle for being a designated hitter.
He may have to wait at Triple-A Syracuse until the need arises. But most of all, with two weeks of Grapefruit League games left, Vientos has sparked a spring.
“Usually in the first few at-bats of the spring, you’re just trying to get your timing down,” Vientos told the Post on Monday. “I still feel like my timing is a little weird, but I feel like I’m getting close to it.”
Vientos said he received advice from Mendoza at the beginning of camp not to divert his strength. He’s a power hitter. This is a home run launcher. It won’t happen every at-bat, every game, and probably every week, and that’s okay.
He hasn’t had to change anything mechanically since last season, when he hit .211 with a .620 OPS in 65 games.
Instead, Vientos looked for ways to derive consistency and began paying more attention to the nuances of his swing.
“Just trust your swing and it will work out,” Vientos said. “And I trust my swing.”
That helped him knock down two sinkers and hit a double to left field against former Met Steven Matz on Saturday. He kept trying to drive his fastball up the middle until Matz dangled a changeup.
That carried over into Sunday’s home run. Vientos wanted to meet the fastball in front of him. But he could always “mishit” something, he said, and when he fell behind Brant Huerter’s sinker, Vientos still had enough connection to carry 329 feet. – Not a home run at an MLB ballpark, but the dimensions were good enough for a home run at Clover Park.
Because of his batting, Vientos could earn at-bats with the Mets in 2023 despite not having a natural position. But he had power. We have a lot. But for Vientos to have a chance last year, the Mets needed to become the Baby Mets. They needed to spiral to the point where the spark was facilitated.
A similar step may not be necessary for Vientos to pursue a consistent stint in the majors this time around. Instead, he could become part of their major plans.
“He feels really good right now,” Mendoza said Sunday. “He sees the ball well.”
