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3 NY Mets players trending toward a role change

We're already seeing signs of these three taking on a different role.
ByTim Boyle|
New York Mets v Washington Nationals
New York Mets v Washington Nationals | G Fiume/GettyImages
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Baseball is one of the cleanest sports when it comes to defining a player’s roles. Everybody sets up at one position. They bat in a particular spot in the lineup. Boundaries are rarely crossed. Our favorite New York Mets player plays this position, bats in this place, and we expect him to receive this much playing time.

Roles do change. Whether it’s because of a player’s struggles in a particular department, a hint of them being more useful in a reduced role, or someone else not pulling their weight, these three Mets players appear to be trending toward a role change.

1) Mark Vientos shouldn’t be a third baseman any more

Two major signs are pointing at the end of Mark Vientos’ time as a third baseman for the Mets. His own defensive shortcomings are the biggest. Additionally, the delayed rise of Brett Baty into one of the club’s better hitters lately and his terrific defense further push the narrative of Vientos hanging up his third baseman’s mitt for good.

A familiar dis against Vientos in his march toward the major leagues was the question about his defensive ability. We saw it with Pete Alonso prior to 2019. Third base is a different animal than first base, though. Butchers are often placed at first base because they lack the ability to do much more than field. Third base requires more range, speed, and a cannon of an arm. Vientos can throw well, but the rest are lacking.

Changing this on the fly is difficult for the Mets without bumping other players out of the picture entirely. There could come a point where Vientos becomes the regular DH and Starling Marte is no longer with the ball club. However, with Jesse Winker not down for the 10-count this year despite his injury, we’d have to expect him to get the bulk of at-bats since he’s a lefty swinger and most pitchers in the league are right-handed.

Vientos will need to hit more in order to actually have a starting role with the Mets. The first of the young players to put together a truly awesome campaign has fallen on some hard times this season. Is he just a part-time player who’ll seek out regular plate appearances against lefties or can he be a very useful power-hitter with no real position but the ability to play both corner spots and DH? For sure, an everyday gig at third base is out of the question.