Pete Alonso’s mishandled throw in the eighth inning with ducks on the pond proved to be a crucial determining factor in the weekend series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees. The Yankees scored six runs in the inning as a result of the airmail, and the Mets had no chance to rally.
The Mets’ night wasn’t just about the all too familiar blunder. Third baseman Mark Vientos made a mistake, allowing the game’s first hitter to reach. Vientos’ frequent struggles at third base are not surprising. He had doubts about his capacity to field the position when he arrived to the majors. He tends to be careless with a lack of urgency and even competence, in addition to making mistakes—he has already made six this season after making five in 2024. His lack of range is becoming evident in his stats, as he now ranks close to the bottom of the league in terms of Outs Above Average for players across all positions.
Vientos had a -7 OAA finish the previous year. He’s already at -6 this season, tied for third worst in MLB, and he’s not getting any better.
Mark Vientos is looking more and more like third base isn’t for him
This season, the Mets haven’t needed, wanted, or been able to use Vientos at any position but first base. In 2023, he played ten games at first base, and in 2024, he played four more. They weren’t all starters. The unusual spot start across the diamond hasn’t been planned because Pete Alonso plays almost every day, but we should anticipate it eventually. If only the Mets could have Vientos throw the ball during a timeout.
Vientos has more possibilities to DH now that Jesse Winker is not around. The recent success of Brett Baty, whose bat has helped to support the move of Vientos off of third base, has contributed to the shift. Jeff McNeil and the far less seasoned Luisangel Acuna were the Mets’ sole hot corner alternatives prior to his comeback.
Although a little quiet, Vientos has had a successful May. The majority of his hits have been singles, and he hasn’t been scoring many runs. His only extra-base hits are a home run on May 11 and a double the next day. Even yet, he hits almost every other game; it’s just not one that has helped him increase his RBI totals. If you don’t consider the big picture, hitting.296 this month with just 3 RBI and two extra-base hits is misleading in any direction.
Oddly, without the power we know he can provide, Vientos appears more like the player he appeared meant to be. To his credit, his strikeout percentage is at 20%, which is a big decrease from the 29.7% he reached at the end of the previous season.
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We’re not at the point where Vientos is discarding his glove (except from the one that could have a hole in it), despite his increasing liability on the field. The short-term fix appears to be more days spent as a DH. Long-term considerations include Alonso’s future, Baty’s play this season, and if Vientos can improve to even a mediocre defensive player rather than one of the worst in the league.
