David Wright's Mark Vientos praise has Mets fans dreaming big
10/16/2024 07:35 AM
The MLB Postseason pressure cooker is starting to cause some shakiness in even the most consummate professionals. Infield flies become error-scored singles. Intentional walks become unforgettable slights, as the recently snubbed, Francisco Lindor-led New York Mets reminded the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS. Specifically, Mark Vientos delivered a grand slam sucker punch to square up the series.
Mets legend David Wright shared a few clubhouse secrets about Vientos with SNY after the big win.
“I remember meeting him for the first time in spring training when he was in the minor leagues,” Wright began. “They asked me to go speak to a group of infielders during early work. Mind you, it's the middle of spring at 7 a.m. He asked if I had extra time after working, speaking with the group to spend with him individually.”
“We hung out for the next 20 minutes just talking baseball,” continued Wright. “That has always stuck with me. When I watch him play he looks like a 10-year veteran as opposed to a rookie. Nothing fazes him and he doesn't allow one bad at bat or one error to faze him.”
The Mets-Dodgers series is all tied up at one game a piece. Game 3 (October 16) will bring the seven-game slugfest to the Big Apple. Vientos is very likely to get a hero’s welcome when walking up for that first NLCS home plate appearance.
Mets getting good value from Mark Vientos
Vientos posted a .266/.322/.516 slash line over 413 regular season at-bats. The 24-year-old has a .378 batting average, a .410 on-base percentage, and a .676 slugging percentage with three home runs during this unlikely MLB Playoffs run. That is great value for someone who was demoted during spring training after signing a one-year, $800,000 deal last winter.
Manager Carlos Mendoza’s Mets would be at a loss with Vientos, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
“He has meant everything to us,'” Mendoza said. “This guy has done such a good job handling adversity. He went through a lot. He went to spring training with a pretty good chance of making the ballclub, and the last week we sign J.D., and he gets the news that he's going back to the minors.'”
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