MIAMI — 5 video games into the 2025 season, the vaunted Mets lineup isn’t precisely performing as anticipated. And whereas this is likely to be the time of 12 months the place you hear the time period “small sample size” usually, 5 video games is much too small of a pattern measurement to attract any sweeping conclusions.
Nonetheless, Mark Vientos is clearly pissed off with solely two hits to begin the 12 months, as is evidenced by his efficiency within the Mets’ 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday evening at LoanDepot Park.
With the sport tied 2-2 within the high of the fourth inning, Vientos hit a floor ball to 3rd base and did not run exhausting out of the field. Third baseman Grant Pauley bobbled the ball and Vientos was nonetheless thrown out, prompting a chat by shortstop Francisco Lindor and first base coach Antoan Richardson.
Vientos stated it was “unacceptable.”
“It won’t happen again,” Vientos stated Wednesday earlier than the Mets concluded their second sequence of the season.
That was largely the message that Richardson and Lindor communicated to Vientos, who additional confirmed his frustration after his last at-bat of the evening.
Going through right-hander Anthoney Bender with two on and one out within the high of the ninth, Vientos went down 0-2 earlier than swinging at a sweeper simply off the within of the plate. He didn’t hit it notably exhausting and he hit it proper at Griffin Conine in proper area. SNY cameras caught the third baseman throwing his tools when strolling again into the dugout.
Vientos completed 0-for-4.
“I just wanted to come through in that situation,” he stated. “I showed my frustration, and I probably should have never done that, too. But that’s just the way I am. I’m competing out there, I’m super focused, I want to win. Obviously, I’ve got to tame it down a little bit, but that’s just how I compete.”
Supervisor Carlos Mendoza additionally talked to Vientos, however felt it finest to attend for the 25-year-old to settle down earlier than having an extended dialog.
“You kind of give it a day, and then the next day, you talk to him, just making sure that mentally, he’s in a good place,” Mendoza stated. “They’re human, they want to see results right away. It’s just understanding that it’s a long season here.”
Coming off of a breakout season, Vientos has been open about wanting to construct on that with out feeling strain to comply with up his 27-homer marketing campaign. The Mets know Vientos is able to assembly the second, one thing he confirmed final fall with huge hits within the postseason. Mendoza acknowledged that there’s strain on the whole group, however in the case of Vientos, he doesn’t see a participant who feels it.
“I don’t think pressure is a word for him, especially after what we saw in the playoffs,” Mendoza stated not too long ago. “Then, you could talk about pressure with the way it was applied. He handled it. Do we think he’s going to struggle? You know, everybody will struggle. So it’s just a matter of making those adjustments and continuing to fight through it.”
A Miami-area native who had loads of family and friends in attendance this week, Vientos was keen to offer them some wins to cheer for, however the Mets are 1-1 within the sequence and 2-3 to begin the season. Apart from one huge offensive recreation, the lineup has largely struggled to supply runs with a .125 common with runners in scoring place. Vientos is 1-for-6 with runners in scoring place with a stroll and a strikeout, and 1-for-8 with runners on base. The Mets moved him down from fifth to sixth within the order Wednesday.
It’s not that Vientos feels that he wants to point out everybody that final season wasn’t an aberration, it’s that he desires to contribute every day and he hasn’t been capable of do it up to now.
QUICK HITTERS
– Proper-hander Frankie Montas was cleared to begin throwing from 60 ft this week.
– Proper-hander Tylor Megill would be the Mets’ starter Friday towards the Toronto Blue Jays. It will likely be the third time Megill has began for the Mets both on Opening Day or within the home-opener, with the massive righty beginning the primary recreation of the house slate two years in the past.
– The Mets made two minor league signings Wednesday, inking first baseman Jon Singleton and infielder Niko Goodrum to contracts. They’re set to report back to Triple-A Syracuse.
