1 Mets player who will get more playing time than we expected

The New York Mets are pretty established both in the starting rotation and defensively around the diamond as they head into the 2023 season. The designated hitter position does remain a question mark, which could lead to a rotation between Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf, and Mark Vientos on days that Pete Alonso is manning first base.

This leads me to the point that I believe Mark Vientos may actually receive more playing time than originally expected this season. I had written earlier this winter how Vientos was the ideal Darin Ruf replacement on the active roster due to his higher upside as well as his successful track record against left-handed pitching.

Mark Vientos could receive consistent playing time for the Mets this upcoming season

Vientos has the ability to fill in at third base and he also has been getting some defensive work at first base early on in the spring, which is a sign the Mets are trying to get as much versatility out of him defensively in addition to his Major League ready bat. While it's still debatable whether Vientos will make the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training, he is going to have every opportunity to win a job over the coming weeks.

Should Vientos for some reason not win a spot on the Mets bench, he certainly will be one of the first players up from Syracuse should there be an injury or performance issues on the big league roster. However, it's been proven that Vientos does not have much left to prove in the minors and I believe the Mets are going to give him every chance to succeed and get into a rhythm in Flushing this season.

In turn, Vientos may get more at-bats out of the designated hitter position, especially against southpaws, and I believe he may be an option to spell Pete Alonso at first base on certain nights. With his Minor League track record, I believe Mark Vientos could be a solid contributor to this year's ball club and he will get more run with the starting lineup than we originally think today.