Mets Rumors: Rival evaluator weighs in on the futures of Mark Vientos, Brett Baty

It remains to be seen whether Brett Baty and Mark Vientos are still a part of the New York Mets' plans moving forward, but neither player has helped their case in 2026.

The Mets were counting on both former top prospects this season. However, they have each been duds in what has been a nightmare campaign for the Mets. With the second-highest payroll in baseball, the Mets have gone an abysmal 63-77 in a season that saw manager Carlos Mendoza get fired in June.

The case for the Mets to keep Brett Baty in 2027

The Mets selected Baty in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, but things haven't gone as both sides had hoped. He is set to enter his first year of arbitration this winter and it's unclear what the future holds.

Baty has slashed .223/.293/.340 with a .634 OPS, eight home runs, 43 RBI and a 0.4 bWAR in 124 games. This comes after a breakout 2025, where he hit 18 homers, drove in 50 RBI and had a .748 OPS with a 3.0 bWAR in 130 games.

One rival talent evaluator I spoke with believes the Mets will keep Baty in 2027 since he has one minor league option remaining. Baty also brings versatility given his ability to play third base, first base, second base and the corner outfield spots. At the very least, Baty could be a valuable left-handed bat off the bench for the Mets next year. All in all, his versatility could end up giving him one last chance in Queens.

The Mets' Mark Vientos decision is tougher

Vientos has now had back-to-back down seasons following a breakout 2024 campaign, where he crushed 27 homers and registered 3.1 bWAR in 111 games. He also helped lead the Mets to Game 6 of the NLCS in '24 with a big postseason at the plate, during which he recorded 14 RBI.

But that feels like a long time ago now. Since the start of the 2025 season, Vientos has accumulated a -1.4 bWAR. His already shaky defensive skills took a major step back since moving over to first base this year, too.

The rival evaluator I talked to thinks it'll be a "coin flip" whether the Mets tender Vientos a contract in the offseason or not. The evaluator is leaning towards the Mets keeping Vientos because of his power and upside in addition to the fact he's under control through the 2029 season. However, he brings no value defensively and will be coming off back-to-back poor campaigns.

The Mets could try and give Vientos some runway as the DH next season, but he can no longer be counted on as a core piece. Vientos is certainly a non-tender candidate heading into this winter, even with a lockout looming.

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