NY Mets don’t seem much closer to finding an answer to their big 2025 question

As the New York Mets prepare to celebrate the greatest infielder in franchise history, David Wright, one of the biggest questions of 2025 has resurfaced. That being whether any of the young infielders on the roster can take the next step and become a star. Guys like Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Mauricio were all expected to take another step in their development and establish themselves as a fixture in this lineup.

However, through the first half of 2025, none of these infielders have separated themselves from the rest. They have all struggled and have left fans with more questions than answers. But what is the reason for their shortcomings, and is there any hope they can turn their seasons around?

What has caused these young infielders to struggle, and what does it mean for the future?

Without question, the biggest disappointment of the 2025 season has been the play of Vientos. After a decent 2024 regular season and an unforgettable postseason, many thought Vientos was the third baseman of the future. However, he's slashed .223/.280/.361 with six home runs, 24 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 84. These struggles are reminiscent of Michael Conforto's struggles in 2016. Vientos has been unable to hit fastballs and off-speed pitches as effectively as he did last year. His average against fastballs has dropped by 88 points, and has fallen by 186 points against off-speed.

Out of the four young infielders, Brett Baty has done the most at the plate. However, this is only because he was red hot in May. In 21 games, he slashed .290/.333/.581 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. But outside of May, Baty has been pretty much an automatic out. Once again, Baty has a high strikeout rate, striking out in 24.7% of his at-bats. This is in the 27th percentile among qualified hitters. This strikeout rate is right in line with his career K% of 25.9.

Mauricio and Acuna have shown flashes but have not had a large enough sample size to make a judgment. Mauricio has just recently returned from a torn ACL and needs more time before we make a decision. Acuna has played in a lot of games; however, most of them have been him coming in late because of his speed in a pinch runner or defensive situation. He lost his everyday job around the middle of May.

The struggles of these young hitters are part of the reason the Mets' offense has not met expectations. The hope was that one of these players would take the next step and become the fifth guy in the Mets' "Fab Four". But their struggles are a big reason why fans have little confidence in the five through nine spots in the order.

One of these players will have to step up over the next few weeks; otherwise, the Mets might have to look outside the organization to address this problem. The Mets are not going to go anywhere if the bottom of the order continues to play the way they are. This is not a team that can afford to let its young players work out their struggles at the major league level. They need guys who can play up to their potential night in and night out.