NEW YORK — Two hours before Thursday’s game at Citi Field, the New York Mets’ trio of young players performed early work. Infield/third base coach Mike Sarbaugh hit grounders to Mark Vientos and Brett Baty, each taking turns at third base while Ronny Mauricio manned second base.
The scene offered a glimpse into how Mets officials may leverage the newest version of their roster, at least in the short term before it inevitably evolves again.
Finding out more information about all three players appears vital for the Mets, who want to learn it ahead of the trade deadline and need someone to run with the third-base job.
The Mets activated Vientos (hamstring) from the injured list ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
To make room for Vientos, the Mets optioned Jared Young, who mostly saw action as a designated hitter batting from the left side. Young didn’t play in New York’s last two games and went 4-for-27 with two home runs this month.
That means Mauricio is staying put and not going to the minor leagues for daily reps, which was the conventional thought until recently. Over the last few days, Mauricio has looked better at the plate. Soon, the Mets will be forced to make another roster decision, with designated hitter Jesse Winker (oblique), who took batting practice Thursday, scheduled to start a rehab assignment Sunday, most likely at High-A Brooklyn. In the meantime, it is worth seeing what Mauricio can do at the major-league level for a little longer.
As long as he receives enough playing time.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, Mendoza left open the possibility of the Mets rolling with a roster that includes Vientos, Baty and Mauricio, saying that there are enough at-bats to go around even in the context of factoring in Mauricio’s development (he missed all of last year after knee surgery).
“There’s gonna be a few spots in the lineup that are going to be kind of like rotating,” Mendoza said. “And I think that’s a good problem to have.”
The discussion starts with Vientos. After breaking out in 2024 with 27 home runs in the regular season, plus five more in the playoffs, Vientos deserves the runway to get going offensively.
“Mark is a big part of this team,” Mendoza said. “We saw what he did for us last year. We’re counting on him again.”
However, Vientos was off to a lackluster start, with just a .678 OPS through 208 plate appearances before his injury on June 2. While acknowledging he needed to get his timing right with his swing, Vientos deemed himself ready and “anxious to get back.”
“Kind of got humbled a little bit,” Vientos said of his slow starts. “And I appreciate that because I love this game so much. It keeps me on my toes. It keeps me wanting to work harder and harder and keep getting better.”
Mark Vientos celebrates after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox in May. He hit 27 HRs in the 2024 regular season. (Lucas Boland / Imagn Images)
At his best, Vientos offers consistent power to all fields from the right side. Mendoza has used him in different spots in the order, including second, fifth and sixth, which opens up a few possibilities. Of importance, Vientos’ presence should lengthen the lineup — the bottom of the Mets’ order has struggled for most of the season.
“We get him going, we talk about having a deep lineup one through nine,” Mendoza said.
Vientos could see time at third base and as a designated hitter. He is not a good defender. Speculatively, the Mets could opt to go with less of a strict lefty-righty platoon at DH and give Vientos some time there (Starling Marte, a right-handed batter with a .716 OPS, is another prime DH candidate). On such days, Baty, a left-handed batter, or Mauricio, a switch-hitter, could play third base. It is also possible for Baty or Mauricio to appear as a defensive replacement during games for Vientos.
Regardless, the Mets need more production from third base; they’ve received just a .472 OPS from the position this month, which is better than only the Chicago Cubs (.448). During Vientos’ absence, Baty and Mauricio mostly split time at third base. This season, Baty is running hot and cold with a .677 OPS and eight home runs after 197 plate appearances. Over his last four games, he is 6-for-14, all singles.
Mendoza has used Mauricio and Baty at second base, too. Defensively, they have performed at least adequately at both positions. Second base — with a ripple effect hitting center field — is likely another part of the calculus when it comes to weighing time for all three young players.
Mauricio has drawn three straight starts at second base, with Jeff McNeil starting in center field over Tyrone Taylor in two of those games (on Thursday, McNeil played left field with Taylor in center field and Brandon Nimmo at DH). Taylor is a terrific defender and plays even when he doesn’t start, but he hasn’t hit much lately; over his last dozen games, he is 6-for-36 (.167 batting average) with 11 strikeouts and one walk. Center field profiles as a position the Mets may address by the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, Mauricio is 5-for-his-last-12 with one double and one home run. The Mets called up Mauricio when Vientos went down, promoting him earlier than they originally planned. Carrying Mauricio on the major-league roster only makes sense if he is getting enough playing time; otherwise, he needs to be in Triple A for development. Just Monday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns acknowledged that the Mets have “asked a lot” from Mauricio, who has shown a huge flaw with his plate discipline but has also flashed tantalizing power. Through his first 15 games, Mauricio had a .561 OPS. The last three games helped raise it to .676.
“I’ve been impressed with how he has handled adversity,” Mendoza said.
Mauricio attributed better results to working with the Mets’ hitting coaches. He said he has learned a lot about how different pitches look in the major leagues compared to the minors, and his confidence is growing.
“I think for my development, obviously, the more reps the better, and I am also glad that Mark is back to be able to help the team out,” Mauricio said Thursday regarding how he views his role in the Mets’ roster puzzle. “But at the same time, I don’t only play third base. I could play second base. I could play shortstop on a day that Francisco Lindor is off his feet. But whatever I can do to help the team win, I am happy to do that.”
At least for the near future, the Mets (48-34) — who reclaimed first place in the National League East from the Philadelphia Phillies (47-34) Thursday night — view Mauricio as part of their most optimal roster to win games, though it’s unknown how long that may last.
(Top photo of Bretty Baty (left) and Mark Vientos (right): Rich Storry / Imagn Images)
