Mark Vientos came out of almost nowhere to become a standout in the Mets miracle season and a star in their postseason of low expectations and great comebacks. It’s a stunning late September and October run by the club to mirror his young career.
Vientos went from peripheral in Mets plans to a principal, a discard to a dignitary in their hierarchy of heroes. He maintained reasonable hope, even while the Mets were targeting him for the trading block or Triple-A Syracuse, or telling him often he remained behind Brett Baty on the third base depth chart.
The kid exuded confidence, but very few around him believed. The Mets tried to throw him into trades at times in past years, but the truth is other teams liked him even less. He was almost universally viewed as someone with a decent hit tool but a shaky glove, and ultimately, no position.
J.D. Martinez, his occasional Miami area hitting partner, is a rare one who did believe in Vientos. Martinez, whose surprise spring signing somewhat ironically bumped Vientos back to the minors, is proof positive you can form a special career if you can swing it.
“He’s a great player, man. He’s talented. He’s always hit,” Martinez said. “He’s got that dog in him, you know. He’s got that fire in him. It’s something you can’t teach — South Florida grit.”
Vientos, still only 24, isn’t exactly from Miami’s mean streets, having attended the pricey, preppy American Heritage School in Plantation, which produced Eric Hosmer and other big leaguers. But you could see that desire, even while they kept sending him to Syracuse. He never quit, and always believed.
Martinez saw not only the belief but the skill in their hitting sessions together at Nova Southeastern University. And now the country is seeing it, too. In October, he leads baseball in hits (14) and RBIs (11). Vientos has six multi-hit games in his first nine career postseason contests. The only player with more in MLB history is Ken Griffey Jr. (seven multi-hit games in 1995).
At times, Vientos is carrying the club with two $20 million position players (Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo) and one $30 million-plus position player (MVP candidate Francisco Lindor). At all times, he’s shocking folks around the league with his all-around play.
Late when they lead, he’s still subbed out for defense by fellow South Floridian Jose Iglesias, the second surprise of the season.
He’s bobbled a few balls, but he’s making almost all the plays. After one seemingly unmakeable play, one Phillies person couldn’t believe it.
“He looks like Mike Schmidt,” the Philly guy lamented.
If that’s an exaggeration, Vientos certainly has met the moments. His highlights are piling up, the latest being the Game 2 grand slam he hit off Dodgers rookie right-hander Landon Knack that catapulted the Mets to yet another win when there were signs again they might be turning into a pumpkin (and not the lucky one Alonso carries around).
Before Vientos’ winning homer, the Dodgers intentionally walked Lindor with first base open, the obvious play. Among insults he’s fielded the past several years, this should have ranked extremely low. But there’s apparently room for another chip on his broad shoulder, and he said he took it “personal.” He also relished his latest chance, so it was a mix of emotions.
“I want to be up there during that at-bat for sure,” Vientos said. “I want them to walk Lindor in that situation, put me up there.”
Of course, anyone would have walked Lindor there. Anyway, Vientos still found an affront.
“I took it as motivation,” Vientos said. “I’m like, all right, you want me up, I’m going to show you, whatever.”
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Knack, the second man up in a scheduled Dodgers bullpen game, probably didn’t know who he was dealing with here. Vientos battled, fouling off five pitches, all the while thinking he wanted to get a run or two in, and also believing there was no way Knack was going to throw him a fastball. He was 0-for-2 on those predictions. Not only did Knack have the temerity to try a heater, Vientos drove it over the wall in right-center field.
“I thought he was going to throw me a slider and I was just going to poke it in the hole or something,” Vientos said.
Knack endeavored to sneak 95 mph past him, and he split the plate in 8 ¹/₂-inch halves.
“I wasn’t going to miss it,” Vientos said.
Lately, he rarely has.
Like the Mets themselves, he’s exceeded expectations by a mile, sending the small but excitable Mets traveling contingent into an uproar with that dinger, while quieting the Hollywood crowd. Vientos sent their script off course. He’s done the same all October.
The re-evaluation of Vientos occurred while building a regular season resume that saw him lead the team with a .516 slugging percentage and .837 OPS (though he didn’t quite qualify due to his two more demotions to Syracuse). He’s a legit Silver Slugger candidate.
The Mets, meantime, changed everything with their 7-3 victory that made the 9-0 Game 1 debacle look like nothing than a blip on their fabulous road.
“This [bleeping] team comes back from the dead like no team I’ve ever seen,” one NL scout said.
The same could be said for Vientos himself.