Quantcast

Mets must DH Mark Vientos full-time over Daniel Vogelbach

Note: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links, Schneps Media may earn a commission.
Mark Vientos Mets
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

For a Mets lineup that needs to find a semblance of support in the power department for Pete Alonso, the designated hitter spot remains an unmitigated disaster. 

A position mostly inhabited by Daniel Vogelbach (32 games) and Tommy Pham (14 games), Mets DHs have combined to sport Major League Baseball’s eighth-lowest batting average (.224), slugging percentage (.359), and home runs (six) to go with the ninth fewest RBI (25).

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK

21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER!

CLAIM NOW
21+ and present in Participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLERBET $5
GET $200
IF YOUR BET WINS!
BET NOW

Vogelbach, who received a second chance at the DH role after his platoon with Darin Ruf failed spectacularly last season, has hit just two home runs in 96 at-bats this season despite 52% of those at-bats coming while batting fifth or sixth in the Mets order.

This is a spot that is in desperate need of an injection of power behind Alonso, normally in the No. 4 spot and leading the majors with 18 home runs this season. As of Thursday morning, that accounted for 32.1% of his team’s round-trippers this season. 

What continues to plague Vogelbach is an overwhelmingly passive philosophy at the plate.

According to Baseball Savant, the 30-year-old left-hander opts not to swing at 46% of pitches that cross over the heart of the plate, or down the very middle of it. The MLB average in that stat is just 28%.

On the shadow of the plate — or outer edges of the strike zone — Vogelbach’s take rate is 20% over the league average of 47%.

Daniel Vogelbach Mets
Daniel Vogelbach (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

While his on-base percentage is at .368 this season thanks to 21 walks, his main objective isn’t free passes. It has to be power, and he hasn’t shown enough of it in his Mets career based on his eight home runs in 300 plate appearances. Over his last nine games alone prior to Thursday’s series finale against the Cubs, Vogelbach was 2-for-his-last-22 (.091) with eight strikeouts.

It makes the usage of Mark Vientos all the more mystifying since his call-up last Wednesday. The 23-year-old youngster has appeared in just four games with 13 at-bats over the last eight days. During his time in Triple-A Syracuse in which he slashed .333/.416/.688 with 13 home runs in 38 games, his playing time during that span could have realistically been double that. 

Instead, he’s finding himself on the bench more often than not when Francisco Alvarez’s usage this season suggests that the only way to get Vientos — who has batted just .154 with a home run and three RBI in the majors — going is by giving him an opportunity to get steady at-bats. 

After struggling in a limited call-up late season, the 21-year-old Alvarez batted .194 with a .494 OPS, one home run, and two RBI over his first 13 games and 36 at-bats in 2023. But out of necessity due to Tomas Nido and Omar Narvaez IL stints, the franchise catcher of the future was able to figure it out with consistent playing time. 

Appearing in 16 of the Mets’ last 21 games, Alvarez has slashed .294/.379/.667 (1.046 OPS) with five home runs and 11 RBI. It’s certainly not a bad formula to try and recreate with Vientos, who has shown that he has the sort of power that can deepen the Mets’ lineup.

Mark Vientos Mets
New York Mets’ Mark Vientos celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a two run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

For more on the Mets, visit AMNY.com

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK

21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER!

CLAIM NOW
21+ and present in Participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLERBET $5
GET $200
IF YOUR BET WINS!
BET NOW