Mark Vientos came almost out of nowhere to become a standout in the Mets' miraculous season and a star in a postseason that saw low expectations but a spectacular comeback. This is a fantastic end-September-October period run by the club to reflect his young career.
Vientos rose from a fringe figure in the Mets' scheme to a principal and then a high-ranking official in the hierarchy of heroes. He remained reasonably hopeful even as the Mets targeted him on the trade block or with Triple-A Syracuse, often talking about him being behind Brett Batty on the third base table.
The boy exuded confidence, but there were few believers around him. The Mets tried to trade him several times over the past few years, but other teams actually liked him even less. He was almost universally viewed as someone who had a decent hitting tool, but a shaky glove and ultimately no position.
JD Martinez, his occasional partner in the Miami area, is a rare person who believes in Vientos. Martinez, a surprise spring signing that somewhat ironically sent Vientos back to the minors, is proving he can have a special career if he can swing it.
“He's a great player. He's talented. He's hitting all the time,” Martinez said. “He's got that dog. He's got that fire inside him. That's something you can't teach — South Florida guts.”
Vientos, who is only 24 years old and attended the expensive, preppy American Heritage School in the plantation that produced Eric Hosmer and other major leaguers, is not from the mean streets of Miami. But you could see that desire even while they kept sending him to Syracuse. He never gave up and always believed.
Martinez understood the skill as well as the belief during their hitting sessions at Nova Southeastern University. And now the country is witnessing it too. In October, he led baseball in hits (14) and RBIs (11). Vientos has multi-hit in six of the first nine postseason contests of his career. The only player in MLB history to do better is Ken Griffey Jr. (multi-hit in seven games in 1995).
At times, Vientos has two position players on the club worth $20 million (Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo) and one position player worth more than $30 million (MVP candidate Francisco Lindor). He consistently impresses people around the league with his all-around play.
Late in the lead, he was still replaced by fellow South Florida native Jose Iglesias on defense, the second surprise of the season.
He bobbles some balls, but he makes almost every play. After the seemingly impossible play, one Phillies official couldn't believe it.
“He looks like Mike Schmidt,” the Philadelphia man lamented.
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Even if that's an exaggeration, Vientos certainly had his moment. His highlights abound, the most recent being a Game 2 grand slam off Dodgers rookie right-hander Landon Knack, just when the Mets looked like they were going to turn into pumpkins again (and weren't so lucky). ) led the Mets to yet another victory. Alonso carries it with him).
Before Vientos' game-winning home run, the Dodgers intentionally walked Lindor with first base open, which was an obvious play. Among the insults he has suffered over the past few years, this has to rank very low. But his broad shoulders clearly had room for one more blemish, which he said he took “personally.” It was a mixed feeling as he too was enjoying his recent opportunity.
“I definitely want to be in that at-bat,” Vientos said. “I want them to walk Lindor in that situation, I want them to put me there.”
Of course, anyone would have walked Lindor there. Regardless, Vientos still felt insulted.
“I used that as motivation,” Vientos said. “I'm like, okay, you just wake me up and I'll show you everything.”
The second Knack scheduled for the Dodgers' bullpen game probably didn't know who he was playing here. Vientos struggled, fouling five pitches, all the while hoping to score a run or two and believing there was no way Knack would throw a fastball. That projection had him going 0-for-2. Not only did Knack have the courage to try a heater, but Vientos hit one over the right-center wall.
“I thought he was going to throw a slider and I was going to run it into the hole or something,” Vientos said.
Knack tried to sneak past him at 95 mph, and he split the plate into 8¹/₂-inch halves.
“I wasn't going to miss it,” Vientos said.
Not much these days.
Like the Mets themselves, he exceeded expectations by a mile, silencing the Hollywood crowd while sending a small but excited Mets expedition into a frenzy with his venom. Vientos took the script off course. He was doing the same thing all October.
Vientos' re-evaluation came as he was building a regular-season resume that led the team with a .516 slugging percentage and an .837 OPS (although two more demotions to Syracuse meant he was not completely at home in the league). (did not qualify). He's a legitimate Silver Slugger candidate.
The Mets, on the other hand, changed everything with a 7-3 victory, making the 9-0 debacle in Game 1 seem like just a blip in their incredible journey.
“this [bleeping] The team has come back from the dead more than any team I've ever seen,” said one National League scout.
The same can be said for Vientos himself.
