Prospects, am I right?

For every can't-miss prospect that works (David Wright), there's a surefire stud who never lives up to his hype (Paul Wilson), those who become cryptic pieces without superstar status (Kevin Plawecki), those who don't make it to the greats (Reese Havens) and to the unexpected pieces that surprise and delight us all (Jacob deGrom). In his first two seasons with the Mets, Mark Vientos looked more like a Plawecki or Wilson than a Wright, and many, including this writer and others here at Amazin' Avenue, thought he would be somewhere along the lines of Dominic Smith/Jarred Kelenic hit the plateau.

Here's some of what our prospect writers said about Vientos in early 2023, his final year as a prospect.

“Vientos is a nice right-handed hitter to have in your system. His overall track record suggests he has the ability to punish lefties, although he can still be beaten by higher speed. That's the positive. Unfortunately, the negative list is a lot longer; He hits the ball on the ground too often, has good but not great exit speed, has trouble making contact in the zone, and isn't really useful anywhere on defense except at first position. Again, a nice right-handed bat to have in your system (so you don't have to trade him for Darin Ruf), but not a long-term building block and definitely someone who should be tradeable to help the major league team .” – Lukas Vlahos

“Vientos is, in a word, a divisive perspective. He doesn't really have a home defensively, not even at first base, and has had strong platoon splits in the minor leagues this year, hitting just .250/.326/.409 against right-handers, compared to .315/.401 /.692 against lefties. The right-handed batting hitter won't play in the majors, but there is a path to high-impact performance from him.” – Thomas Henderson

“A year after his breakout performance in 2021, Vientos had a nearly identical season, this time at Triple-A Syracuse instead of Double-A Binghamton. In 2018, I compared Vientos to Nolan Gorman, and the comparison still holds true as their numbers, strengths and weaknesses have remained nearly identical all these years later – Gorman admittedly has greater defensive value despite playing second base at St .Louis one is a bad defender as Vientos is in third place. Given that Vientos' path to regular playing time at both third and first base is blocked in both the short and long-term future, it will be interesting to see how the Mets utilize him. The bat is worth adding to the lineup.” – Steve Sypa

Not just from the writers at Amazin' Avenue, but overall, this was the perspective of Vientos across the baseball internet: interesting, but probably not a budding superstar. However, in his third year as a big league hitter – and his first with over 100 games in the majors – Vientos has proven that he is capable of so much more than many of us thought possible.

In 2024, Vientos posted 3.2 bWAR and an OPS+ of 135 in 111 games. His 27 home runs rank him third on the team behind Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor, and his .844 OPS is second only to Lindor. Additionally, Vientos posted a 14/39 record with three home runs, two doubles, two walks and 11 RBIs in the playoffs. His grand slam in yesterday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers made the difference, both in reality and in the atmosphere of the game.

While there's always the possibility that it's a blip in a season, Vientos have clearly adjusted to MLB pitching this season. From 2023 to 2024, Vientos increased his line drive rate from 16.8% to 24.4%, his isolated slugging increased from .156 to .249, and his walk rate nearly doubled (4.3% to 7.3%). .

Admittedly, his defense still isn't very good. He has an above-average arm but is slow with both feet and slow to react when hit by a ball. There is certainly a chance that his footwork could improve and that better positioning and routes to balls could occur over time, but he will never be Robin Ventura or possibly even David Wright at third base.

But if he hits .500 every year, and if Pete Alonso comes back as a Met next year, Vientos will get another chance to prove his worth at third base. I don't want to go all Billy Beane Money ball and saying defense doesn't matter because it does, but players with his offensive skills will always find ways to make plays.

There is another way: make him the DH. While I'm not normally a proponent of a 25-year-old designated hitter, if Vientos plays a little third and first on days when Alonso and (insert free agent third baseman or Brett Baty if we're hopeful) play a little third and first would play a role I think Vientos could hold the position quite well. But on an older team that may need a retirement and a catcher who can hit like a superstar when healthy, a more flexible DH position is better than giving the role to a young player.

Regardless of what his 2025 and beyond looks like, Vientos' 2024 was one of the many wonderful surprises of this remarkable season. From his Swarvoski cleats, his big smile, or his fierce attack on Michael Jordan in his postgame interview last night, Vientos was more than just a fun player to have on the field: he was also a true joy. I'm not sure his rise is as surprising as David Peterson's transformation into late '90s Jamie Moyer or José Iglesias becoming not only a viable everyday player but also a Latin pop star, but it is of the many plays this season that will do so will read even more surprisingly to future generations than it seems to us today.

Swaggy V appears to be here to stay, and his presence at the club was just one of the storybook pieces of this unlikely, wonderful Mets season. Let's see how he writes the story of his season to the end.