For years, the Mets fielded questions on whether or not Mark Vientos or Brett Baty play third base on the large league degree. Because it seems, the reply is each of them.
The Mets are presently utilizing a rotation of Vientos and Baty at third base, relying on pitching matchups and defensive matchups. Baty performs second base on days when Vientos begins on the sizzling nook, and Vientos will get DH days to get Baty at third. It’s an unconventional rotation, however neither considered one of them has emerged as a stud defender simply but.
It’s no secret that Vientos has struggled along with his glove this season. His defensive metrics rank among the many worst out of all certified third basemen, with -7 outs above common and -8 defensive runs saved. If superior stats aren’t your factor, take into account that Vientos has made seven errors at third this 12 months, tied for the third-most amongst all qualifiers.
On paper, Vientos checks the entire containers for a 3rd baseman. He’s a run producer with an influence bat and a succesful glove, but it surely’s not precisely an elite glove. Rotating him with Baty, a extra essentially sound infielder, makes the Mets higher, but it surely’s additionally been necessitated by the Mets’ relative lack of offense this month.
With the margin for error skinny, the Mets want a stingy protection, and Baty has began seven of the final 10 video games at third base.
“For me, he’s going through it right now,” Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned Tuesday at Citi Discipline. “It was really good to see him yesterday. He continues to put in the work, that’s how you’re going to get out of it.”
Vientos has been doing further pregame work with infield coach Mike Sarbaugh even on days when he’s within the lineup as a DH. That is to keep up a constant workload, but in addition to enhance his defensively. The one factor Vientos has by no means lacked is confidence, however the Mets don’t need him to internalize his errors.
Vientos tends to be higher transferring towards first base than third, however with a rotation loaded with right-handed ground-ball pitchers, they want him to enhance going towards his proper.
The Mets know he can enhance as a result of they’ve already seen enchancment over the previous couple of years, particularly along with his first step and his pre-pitch focus ranges. Vientos is healthier capable of anticipate performs now and his throws are extra correct.
The purpose of emphasis for him proper now could be fielding gradual rollers.
“Making sure he stays down through the play,” Sarbaugh mentioned. “I think sometimes, if it’s a fast runner, we start thinking about the throw before we catch the ball.”
In addition they need to gradual the sport down for Vientos.
“His first step and all that has been fine, I think it’s just more of just making the routine play,” Sarbaugh mentioned. “I mean, he knows that. He’s just going through a little bit of a time, and he’ll come out of it. I think, too, I think the biggest thing sometimes, as major league players, just in general, is about the routine play. I always tell infielders, ‘Hey, routine plays are the ones that need to be made, and then the great plays just happen.’”
For anybody to work out of a hunch, be it offensive or defensive, they must have alternatives to take action in video games. Vientos returned to 3rd base Tuesday in opposition to the Chicago White Sox, his second begin there in three days, however solely his third since Might 18.
“It’s like when you’re going through offensive struggles, like you go out there, you continue to work until you get the feeling back,” Mendoza mentioned. “Same thing here. This is a guy that in the off season worked really, really hard for the first step and now he’s going through a stretch where, it happens, but he’s got to continue to work, continue to believe in himself.”
Regardless of the errors, the Mets nonetheless imagine in Vientos as a 3rd baseman. The taking part in time cut up may not be how they drew it up, however in the intervening time, it’s working.
