Vientos Shows Promise, Baty Faces Pressure as Mets’ Young Core Struggles Early

The Mets made a major splash this offseason by signing Juan Soto to a historic $756 million deal and securing slugger Pete Alonso on a two-year extension, instantly making their lineup one of the most dangerous in the league. However, the team’s true championship potential hinges on the development of its young, homegrown talent — namely, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty.

Just 11 games into the season, both players have struggled to meet early expectations. Baty, who earned the second base job after a red-hot spring, entered Wednesday’s matchup against the Marlins slashing just .125/.125/.167 through 24 plate appearances, with one extra-base hit, no walks, and nine strikeouts. Vientos, meanwhile, has started every game but was hitting only .125/.239/.175 with two doubles, two runs scored, and a single RBI coming into the same game.

Despite the sluggish starts, the Mets have opened the season strong as a team. But as boos echoed through Citi Field during Wednesday’s loss to Miami, it became clear that continued struggles could lead to questions about the effectiveness of their youth movement.

“You know, that’s baseball,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Sometimes things won’t go your way, even when you’re doing everything right. We’ve got a long season ahead, and we can’t overreact to short-term results.”

In Vientos’ case, Mendoza’s patience appears justified. Though the surface numbers aren’t there yet, Vientos is showing clear improvements in plate discipline and approach. He’s chasing fewer pitches outside the zone and has raised his zone contact rate by 8% compared to his career average — now in line with the league average.

“Swing rate is down, contact is up — I think that’s a good thing,” Vientos said with a smile before Wednesday’s game. “I’m putting balls in play, just not getting lucky. I’m sticking to the process and having good at-bats. Eventually, it’ll come my way.”

However, some underlying trends might explain the lack of results. Vientos’ pull rate has spiked to nearly 52% — well above his career 39.6% — and his hard contact numbers are slightly down. He’s also seeing more breaking balls than ever, with opposing pitchers throwing them 47.4% of the time, up from 40% last year. Still, Vientos doesn’t believe the offspeed approach is throwing him off.

“I’ve always been pitched offspeed,” he said. “I just need to do more damage when I get fastballs.”

So far, that hasn’t happened. He’s batting just .095 against heaters and struggling to punish pitches in the heart of the strike zone. Still, his patience and plate control suggest a turnaround is on the horizon.

“I feel like I’ve been swinging at the pitches I want,” he said. Mendoza echoed that sentiment: “Controlling the strike zone, hitting the ball hard, not chasing — what more can you ask for?”

While time and trust might be the solution for Vientos, Baty’s situation is more pressing.

“He needs to dictate at-bats,” Mendoza said. “Pitchers are attacking him early, getting ahead, and he’s chasing late.”

The numbers support that. In his first nine starts, Baty saw a first-pitch strike 79% of the time — far above the league average of 62%. He frequently finds himself in 0-1 or 0-2 counts, where hitters struggle to be effective. Baty has also been in two-strike counts 36.5% of the time this year, compared to a league average of 29.6%, and he’s striking out in 23.7% of those situations (league average: 20.2%).

“You’ve got to be ready for your pitches and do damage,” Mendoza said. “He’s capable of doing that — he just has to go out and prove it.”

The urgency for Baty comes from the pending return of second baseman Jeff McNeil, who is beginning a rehab assignment and could be back within two weeks. When that happens, the Mets will have to make a roster decision between Baty and fellow young infielder Luisangel Acuña.

Acuña, with superior defensive skills and speed, might be favored unless Baty begins hitting soon.

That gives the 25-year-old a short window to reverse his fortunes. If he can become more aggressive early in counts and begin punishing mistakes, he could solidify his place in the lineup. If not, a demotion to Triple-A may be imminent.

The potential for both Vientos and Baty remains high. If Vientos’ process starts producing results and Baty finds his groove at the plate, the Mets’ lineup — already dangerous — could become truly elite.