Setting expectations for the overdue Mark Vientos promotion

A .280/.358/.519 slash line, 24 home runs, and 72 RBI were enough at the Triple-A level for the New York Mets to finally call up prospect Mark Vientos. If this transaction was a Spike Lee movie, Do the Right Thing would be perfect.

The Mets did, in fact, do the right thing with this move. As Darin Ruf continues to put up zeroes and Daniel Vogelbach fades at the plate as well, it was time to do something—anything at all.

The logical step was and has been to call up Vientos. It finally happened on Saturday afternoon with the hot-hitting Mets prospect getting promoted as Starling Marte officially landed on the IL.

What can Mets fans expect from Mark Vientos?

Smashing Triple-A pitchers is one thing. Handling major league pitchers is quite another. Vientos has been a solid hitter at each level of the minor leagues and more than just a slugger. He’ll join the Mets with a professional slash line of .272/.341/.482 in his 1703 plate appearances.

At the big league level, Vientos should immediately take over at-bats from Ruf. On days when a righty starts against the Mets, he should be ready to go for plenty of pinch-hitting opportunities in place of Vogelbach or either catcher.

Vientos shouldn’t see too much action in the field. While there is still a thought of him being a third baseman, poor growth on defense has made him closer to a 1B/DH in the future.

Mets fans have been wondering for months why Vientos hadn’t been promoted earlier. The team had DH issues long before the trade deadline. Vientos has always been a candidate to get called up to try and fix the problem.

We can come up with a few dozen reasons as to why the Mets didn’t call him up sooner. But now a half game behind the Atlanta Braves and urgency sinking in, the front office could no longer resist. It was time to make the most logical move to boost the offense. It’s Mark Vientos time—probably not every day, but always against lefties.