The emergence of Jared Young “is real,” David Stearns contended Friday, which further suggests the Mets will plan to retain the reliable first base/DH type who plays enough defense and is capable against righty pitching.
Bringing the lefty-hitting Young back in the same role (while presumably giving the switch-hitting Jorge Polanco another shot) would create an opening for a righty-hitting complement who can crush lefty pitching and hold his own at first base — a job Mark Vientos has not run with this season.
Among the data the Mets hope to collect during a lost September is whether Vientos can be counted on, particularly defensively, next season. Vientos’ latest round of auditions did not start well.
Naturally a third baseman whose lack of mobility moved him off the spot, Vientos received another look at first Sunday and committed another error in what became a 4-2 win over the Giants at Citi Field.
During the fifth inning, Christian Koss cueballed a grounder that Vientos said had “weird spin.”
“It started like on the foul line and ended up to the right of me, so it was just a weird one,” said Vientos, who was unable to knock it down and allowed Koss to reach second and lead runner Drew Cavanaugh to make it to third.
“It was a tough play,” interim manager Andy Green added before also referencing the spin. “… It’s a play he expects to make and we expect him to make.”
The play did not end up costing a run, with Christian Scott and Nate Lavender striking their way out of trouble, but it will be one more play that works against Vientos in roster discussions this winter.
Among 40 players who had logged at least 100 innings at first base entering play, Vientos ranked 39th in Outs Above Average.
Stretching back to before the hand fracture that cost Vientos almost eight weeks, he has committed six errors in his past 13 games at first base. He spent much of Sunday morning working on picks and footwork around the base with several coaches, including bench coach Kai Correa, but if he is making progress, it is not tangible.
“I think as the year goes on, I’m feeling more and more comfortable with the position,” Vientos said.
The Mets were happy to put up with Vientos’ defense in 2024 — at third base, primarily — because his bat forced its way into daily lineups. But what once looked like a breakout, 27-homer, .837-OPS season is looking more like an aberration.
Last year and this year, he has struggled against righty pitching. He remains a force against southpaws — against whom he owns an .899 OPS with eight home runs in 104 plate appearances this year — and in today’s game, there are not many righties who consistently crush lefties, which helps Vientos’ cause.
But it is still difficult to squeeze that one tool onto a roster if he cannot offer much on defense or hit righty pitching, especially because he cannot be optioned to the minors.
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It is possible Vientos, who is set to reach arbitration for the first time this offseason, is playing for his Mets future, but that is not how he thinks of these September games.
“I’m just here playing games, enjoying the time with my teammates and having fun,” Vientos said.
