In the second game of the season, it became obvious that the Mets are starting a third baseman with virtually no experience at third base and a first baseman with virtually no experience at first base.
Bo Bichette committed an error and Jorge Polanco flirted with two (but was charged with none), the pair of projects looking raw in what became a 4-2 win in 11 innings over the Pirates at Citi Field on Saturday.
A shortstop with the Blue Jays who was generally viewed as a second baseman in free agency, Bichette signed as a third baseman with the Mets and is still mastering throwing across the diamond.
On Thursday, one of his throws pulled Polanco off the base, but Polanco adjusted and recorded the out anyway. On Saturday, another one of Bichette’s throws tailed up the line again, but this time it cost the Mets an out. Polanco came off the base, allowing Bryan Reynolds to reach safely in the fourth inning. David Peterson, who pitched into and out of trouble all day, navigated around the jam.
“We’ve just got to continue to work with him on those routine throws,” said manager Carlos Mendoza, who anticipates that further reps will help.
Polanco, an infielder who signed with the Mets with one pitch worth of big league experience at first base, did not look smooth on several ground balls.
In the seventh, Ryan O’Hearn grounded softly to Polanco, who fielded and tossed it behind Luke Weaver. The Mets only recorded the out because Weaver, displaying his athleticism, adjusted and slid to touch the base in time.
An inning prior, Nick Gonzales smashed a ground ball to Polanco, who was swallowed up by a bad hop after the ball hit the lip of the grass. Gonzales reached safely on what was ruled a hit, and Peterson and Huascar Brazobán combined to ensure that runner would not score.
“Just a hard ground ball that came up on him,” Mendoza said. “There’s only so much there that you can do.”
The Mets opened their season Thursday. It is likely that Mark Vientos will not start his first game until the following Wednesday.
Barring changes in the Pirates or Cardinals rotations, the Mets will open their season facing five straight righty starting pitchers.
They won’t see a lefty until the final game of their series in St. Louis, where Matthew Liberatore is set to pitch (and the Giants, the Mets’ following opponent, could open their series with lefty Robbie Ray).
That likely will mean Vientos — a righty bat who is expected to see most of his time against lefties — will have to wait his turn. As a pinch-hitter, Vientos’ turn arrived in Saturday’s 10th inning, when he pinch hit for Carson Benge and came through with a single.
Mendoza said he talked with Vientos and righty-hitting fourth outfielder Tyrone Taylor about the situation, and both understood.
In delivering the news to Vientos, Mendoza recalled the 2024 season — when Vientos became a late-camp cut because of the J.D. Martinez signing, was briefly called up to the majors and clubbed a walk-off home run, only to be optioned back to the minors shortly thereafter, before finally running with his chance in mid-May.
The message, essentially: Vientos has to be ready for anything and can overcome frustrations.
“Look, man, two years ago you had your best year here,” Mendoza said he told Vientos. “He understands. He’ll be ready for whenever his name is called.”
Mendoza conceded that this year’s role is “completely different” for Vientos, who will play some first base and generally serve as the designated hitter against lefties. His role has been reduced after a subpar 2025 — both at third base and offensively, his OPS dropping from .837 to .702 — and the active offseason pushing Brett Baty to the team’s DH for the first two games, though the Mets plan to cycle through DHs beginning as soon as Sunday.
Mendoza said Baty — who will see time at first base this season, too, to push Polanco to DH — will see the field soon, in part because Saturday’s game began a run of nine games in nine days for the Mets.
In their season opener, the Mets used three automated ball-strike challenges: two successfully by Francisco Alvarez at catcher — including a helmet tap that turned an Oneil Cruz walk into a strikeout — and one unsuccessfully by Marcus Semien, who appealed a called third strike in the eighth inning.
Mendoza said everybody on the Mets is free to challenge.
“I would say that the situation of the game will dictate when they’re going to be able to challenge or not,” Mendoza said. “The emotions at times will take over. But that’s where you’re going to have to constantly remind those guys of the situation.”
