Colin Loughran

It was not long ago that fans, pundits, and everyone in between were praising New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos for his play during the 2024 campaign and the magical postseason run that followed. But, as the team enters a 2026 season that may be largely defined by new faces, the 26-year-old will have a chance to become an essential part of an October push. “We’re not putting too much into results right now,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters of Vientos. “The biggest thing for him is just continue to see the ball well, continue to make hard contact, and continue to work hard defensively. The corner infielder struggled badly in spring training, hitting a paltry .057/.108/.171 in 11 games. His -34 wRC+ suggests he was 134% worse than the average hitter during the exhibition slate. And yet, Mendoza's faith seemingly hasn't wavered. “He’s going to be a big player for us. He’s going to be a big bat, and we’re counting on him. I’m pretty confident that we’re going to get a really good version of Mark Vientos.” Mark Vientos' Make-or-Break Case In 2026 What Went Wrong in 2025 After a 2024 season that saw him crank 27 home runs, bring in 71 RBIs, and post a .837 OPS, Vientos regressed last season, only hitting 17 home runs, collecting 61 RBIs, and recording a .702 OPS despite playing in more overall games. Put simply, Vientos found fewer barrels in 2025. According to Baseball Savant, he posted a barrel% of 11.5% last season. This was down from 14.1% in 2024. Additionally, the former second-round pick saw his walk rate dip. Vientos spoke openly about falling short of expectations last season and was aware that his name was being discussed ahead of the trade deadline. “I see it as it’s a good thing,” Vientos told MLB.com last season. “It’s a good thing that I’m being talked about. You can see it as like, ‘Damn, it’s bad.’ But I see it as, ‘Man, I’m that important in the league that I’m being talked about in trade rumors.’ There's value in a 26-year-old player with a 132 wRC+ season on his résumé, but the Mets didn't feel strongly enough about his prospects to come back from a down year to avoid signing Jorge Polanco and Bo Bichette to cover the infield corners. Vientos will have to work his way up the depth chart after losing his starting spot last year. What Can Go Right in 2026? At a bare minimum, Vientos will have to find the same swagger and comfort that made him thrive two summers ago. It is possible that a revamped clubhouse culture that is not fresh off a run to the NLCS could be an environment that allows that youngster to find his footing. From a more granular perspective, there were aspects of his metrics last season that could be viewed as positive developments. While he struggled to find as many barrels and work as many walks, his HardHit% rose while his K% went down. At his best, Vientos could be a player who mashes more than 30 home runs per year. Any path towards becoming this kind of slugger would require him to avoid strikeouts and continue to hit the ball hard. Adjustments could help place 2025 in the rear-view mirror without having to completely overhaul what has made him an intriguing bat. How Will This Impact the 2026 Mets? The franchise’s decision to move on from longtime first baseman Pete Alonso has placed the 2026 club in a position where any kind of slugging would be a welcome sight. While David Stearns and the front office acquired players like Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien, who boast solid track records as it pertains to hitting in the clutch, there is still value in having an individual whose strength is hitting the ball over the fence. It's fastest way to produce runs, after all. If Vientos can be that for the Mets, the structure of the lineup will change. He'll have to move beyond his horrid spring training quickly in order to remain relevant in a bench or platoon role, but his potential remains, at the very least, untapped. We'll have to see if he can respond to the pressure of a make or break season in 2026. View full article