Why the NY Mets should buy into a Mark Vientos redemption tour

The New York Mets lineup has been full of surprises so far this year. While some players have failed to live up to the hype, others have begun the season by exceeding expectations. Mark Vientos, who has spent much of the last year fighting to prove that he still belongs on the team, has been one of the most productive hitters, posting a 174 OPS+ over his first nine games.

It's hardly enough data to assuage any prior concerns about his ability to be a consistently valuable player for the Mets but there's information to suggest that he's actually turning a significant corner.

Mark Vientos isn't just posting better results, he's looking like a meaningfully better hitter this year

It's easy to dismiss a .956 OPS over 30 plate appearances as an anomaly but there are far more important details to focus on. His bat speed is up to 73.3 mph, 2 mph faster than his bat speed in 2025. Bat speed is an important metric for several reasons but a faster bat allows a hitter to catch up to velocity and maximize exit velocity. Thus, it should come as no surprise that some of the sport's best hitters like Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Judge, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all placed in the top ten of average bat speed last season. However, it doesn't mean much by itself.

A hitter can swing his bat as fast as he wants but if he isn't able to make contact, it's ultimately meaningless. That's why Vientos's zone contact rate of 90.6% and whiff rate of 25.0% have also allowed him to be more productive at the plate. An improved bat speed combined with better contact skills should allow him to continue doing more damage with each swing.

Vientos has also demonstrated improved plate discipline this year but still has room for improvement. His chase rate has improved to 29.4% and he has struck out just 15.4% of the time while walking at a 7.7% clip. Neither metric quite places him in Juan Soto territory but it's still an important step in the right direction for someone who was comfortably below league-average last year.

Part of this could also be due to the positional change to first base. Typically, players tend to hit better when their defensive obligations are decreased and it seems to be working out for Vientos so far, who has accumulated -20 DRS as a third baseman in his career.

Although the early data is encouraging, he's not out of the woods just yet. He's pulling the ball in the air just 10% of the time and has primarily found success against breaking balls while struggling more against fastballs. As the season progresses and pitchers begin to adapt to his strengths and weaknesses, it will be up to him to stay ahead of the competition.

After an underwhelming spring training and an offseason full of trade rumors, it may be hard to once again believe in a Vientos resurgence. In fact, if not for Jorge Polanco's current injury predicament, he may not have gotten a chance to redeem himself. He has made the most out of the opportunity and if the redemption tour continues, he won't just ingratiate himself with fans — he'll finally cement his place on the roster.