2 Mets prospects, 3 veterans in the minors who will be key for the team in the first half

NY Mets prospect Mark Vientos should be an offensive option in short order

Mark Vientos’ place with the Mets remains a bit mysterious considering he doesn’t look like a third baseman or a left fielder. First base? Designated hitter? Those two make more sense.

Vientos was a reasonable right-handed DH candidate to platoon with Daniel Vogelbach this year. He remains an option for the Mets to consider if someone gets hurt or they aren’t getting enough from Tommy Pham or any other righties frequently starting as the DH against lefties.

For long or short stretches, the Mets should consider having Vientos on the MLB roster. There isn’t much room for him at the moment with a bench consisting of a backup catcher, an infielder, and two outfielders on a regular basis. We know better than to believe the Mets will make it all season without someone getting seriously hurt. Vientos will need to continue swinging big in Triple-A and become an option for the club to provide innings as a first baseman or DH. Hopefully it’s only the latter. This lineup needs Pete Alonso.

The Mets definitely seem focused on letting Francisco Alvarez improve his defense before he gets any significant major league playing time. This pushes Vientos way ahead of him on the depth chart in terms of who could help out in the first half. Unfortunately because of his lack of defensive skills, he may get sent down shortly after even if he is playing well.