Mark Vientos and Brett Baty Have Big Day, Showing Encouraging Signs
Some of the plethora of higher-caliber prospects for the New York Mets showed glimpses of what they are capable of throughout last season, but 2024 is the year where Mark Vientos and Brett Baty need to remain consistent for a much larger period of time. The Mets will need both of them produce with at the plate if they want to compete for a playoff spot in the National League.
Baty and Vientos have struggled through the early stretches of spring training, but both of them have quality at-bats in the team’s 9-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday afternoon.
Brett Baty. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Vientos had a quality plate appearance in the top of the first inning, working a full count against former Met Steven Matz. The slugger would see a changeup on the eighth pitch of the at bat, driving a double to left field. Vientos would come around to score on a ground-rule double from Ji-Man Choi.
Additionally, Brett Baty would continue to frustrate Matz, looping a 95 mph sinker into shallow left field, as the Mets scored their third run of the inning. Vientos would open the third inning with a single back to the pitcher, but nothing would come from that.
“He’s put in a lot of work behind the scenes and the fact that he’s getting results as of late, getting good pitches to hit and putting good swings and making hard contact, that’s good to see,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said about Vientos.
Mark Vientos. Photo by Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Baty would go onto record his second hit of the game in the top of the eighth inning, driving a 88 mph cutter to center field off of Sem Robberse for a double. Mets prospect Simon Juan would bring him around to score on a single, giving the team a strong 6-0 lead. Baty and Vientos finished the day going 4-for-8 with two doubles and a run batted in. It was an important day for the two of them.
Neither of them had the success they had hoped for at the big-league level last season. Vientos hit just .211 with a 69 wRc+ in 233 plate appearances, and Baty hit .212 with a 68 wRC+ 389 plate appearances. Both of them are capable of having a bigger impact at the plate as soon as this year. If they continue to have quality at bats in spring training, both will get into the team’s Opening Day lineup.
The post Mark Vientos and Brett Baty Have Big Day, Showing Encouraging Signs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.