The New York Mets have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball this season, but there is room for improvement.
One area for improvement is at third base.
Mark Vientos isn’t cutting it defensively and hasn’t had the greatest offensive season, so much so that Brett Baty has been playing a lot at third base recently.
According to FanSided’s “Rising Apple,” Vientos is trending toward a role change with the Mets.
Vientos, 25, had a good offensive season in 2024, hitting 27 home runs with 71 RBI and slashing .266/.322/.516.
The problem for Vientos is that he isn’t a good defender. In 2024, he had minus-7 outs above average, per Baseball Savant. This season? Minus-7 outs above average.
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His third base counterpart Baty is a much better defender and has hit better than Vientos this season.
Vientos lacks range at a position where range is important. A full shift to designated hitter could help him and the team in more ways than one.
As the DH this season, his batting average is about the same as when he plays third base, but his slugging percentage is 70 points higher.
Overall, Vientos has six home runs with 21 RBI and is slashing .230/.298/.380 in 53 games this season.
It’s a small sample size, but he’s a better hitter when he focuses on just hitting. His defense just isn’t good enough for a playoff team and Baty had a great May both with the bat and the glove.
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