{"id":60018,"date":"2025-05-09T07:26:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T07:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=60018"},"modified":"2025-05-09T07:26:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T07:26:51","slug":"mets-2024-breakout-star-is-yet-to-hit-his-stride-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=60018","title":{"rendered":"Mets’ 2024 breakout star is yet to hit his stride this year"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mets'
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The New York Mets have started to look like a well-tuned engine\u2014one that had its pistons firing in rhythm on the mound all season, and now the offense is roaring to life. Like a band finding its groove mid-concert, the Mets\u2019 bats have begun to sing in harmony, led by some scorching-hot performances from names like Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, and rising star Luisangel Acu\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

While the lineup is turning heads, there\u2019s one player quietly drifting in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

A Puzzling Slow Start for Mark Vientos<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark Vientos was supposed to be a cornerstone of this offense. After a 2024 campaign that felt like a coming-of-age movie for the third baseman\u201427 homers, a 133 wRC+, and a playoff run that had fans on their feet\u2014expectations for 2025 were sky-high. But so far, Vientos has been stuck in neutral.<\/p>\n

\"Mets'
Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Through the early months of the season, he\u2019s batting just .220 with a .301 OBP and a .370 slugging percentage. He\u2019s launched four home runs and driven in 15, which, while not dreadful, feels like a muted echo of the thunder he brought to the plate just a year ago. A 92 wRC+ doesn\u2019t scream crisis, but it doesn\u2019t whisper confidence either\u2014especially when compared to what he\u2019s shown he can do.<\/p>\n

Improvement Without Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interestingly, the underlying numbers suggest Vientos has made some strides. He\u2019s trimmed his strikeout rate significantly\u2014from a concerning 29.7% last year to a more palatable 21% this season. In theory, putting the ball in play more often should lead to better results. But like a boxer throwing more jabs without landing any solid punches, Vientos just isn\u2019t making loud contact.<\/p>\n

His barrel rate, once an intimidating 14.1%, has been cut in half to just 6.1%. The hard-hit rate is also down\u2014from 46.6% to 40.8%. It\u2019s not that he\u2019s missing\u2014he\u2019s just not hitting with the same menace. It\u2019s like watching a power hitter swap his sledgehammer for a whiffle bat.<\/p>\n

\"Mets'
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Defensive Woes Add to the Struggles<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately for the Mets, Vientos\u2019 issues don\u2019t end at the plate. His defense at third base has been rough. With -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -4 Outs Above Average already, his glove has become a liability in a position that demands reliability. Advanced metrics paint an unflattering picture, and projection systems aren\u2019t optimistic that things will turn around quickly on that front.<\/p>\n

Waiting on the Turnaround<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vientos still has the tools. Talent like his doesn\u2019t just evaporate overnight. But for now, he\u2019s the one piece of the Mets\u2019 puzzle that doesn\u2019t seem to fit. As the rest of the team surges, he\u2019s stuck trying to rediscover the magic that made him such a force just one season ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As most of the New York Mets’ offense finds its rhythm, third baseman Mark Vientos is still stuck in neutral, both offensively and defensively<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":60020,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nMets' 2024 breakout star is yet to hit his stride this year - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=60018\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mets' 2024 breakout star is yet to hit his stride this year - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As most of the New York Mets' offense finds its rhythm, third baseman Mark Vientos is still stuck in neutral, both offensively and defensively\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=60018\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T07:26:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T07:26:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thiet-ke-chua-co-ten-1-36.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrLuu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrLuu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=60018\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=60018\",\"name\":\"Mets' 2024 breakout star is yet to hit his stride this year - 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