QUEENS, NY — Perhaps Mark Vientos was more of an x-factor for the Mets’ 2025 hopes than initially believed.
After four months of ceaseless struggles and the disappearance of his power, which saw him batting .219 with a .630 OPS, six home runs, and 24 RBI on July 18 after belting 27 home runs last season, the 25-year-old third baseman/designated hitter is clawing out of the doldrums in a big way.
Over his last 24 games, he has looked significantly more comfortable and patient at the plate, batting .303 with a .922 OPS. With it has come a condensed and frenzied power surge. He has as many home runs in his last 18 games (six) as he had in his first 73 games of 2025. Five of those round-trippers have come in the last eight nights.
“We’ve been missing that bat,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We saw last year how important he is. When you add that type of bat to the middle of our lineup, we’re going to be pretty dangerous. It’s good to see him again with some confidence, believing in himself. It was a struggle for him. But when you watch him for the last two weeks, the at-bat quality, suing the whole field, driving the ball. If we get that version of Vientos, we’re going to be a good place.”
He played the role of talisman once again during Monday night’s series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, in what appears to be a last-stand sort of clash. The Mets entered the three-game set seven games behind them for first place in the NL East.
Down 3-0 in the fourth, Vientos drove in the Mets’ first run of the night with a double down the left-field line, which sparked a three-run frame off Phillies ace Christopher Sanchez to tie the game.
In the very next inning, he muscled another double down he right-field line to put the Mets ahead for good in a 13-3 romp.
“It felt good,” Vientos said. “I was glad I was up to bat in those situations. Just tried to stay simple and get the ball in the outfield.”
Those two doubles raised his extra-base-hit total over his previous eight games to nine (five homers, four doubles). New York is 5-3 during that stretch, which is a step in the right direction after a disastrous two months that resulted in the loss of their division lead and the current hole they sit in.
Should he continue on this tear, their NL East hopes are anything but dead. Vientos lengthens a lineup that has suddenly found its mojo with men in scoring position. After being one of the worst teams in baseball with runners in scoring position through July, they have figured it out in August, including a remarkable 11-for-19 showing on Monday night.
“I feel like at this point of the season, I have to keep going,” Vientos said. “I can’t sit down and pat myself on the back. This is a long season, there’s a lot of games left, and we want to make it all the way. So I’m focused on the next game.”
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