The New York Mets, as a whole, continue to struggle. Meanwhile, one of their most struggling hitters looks better than he has in years. Mark Vientos, who looked lost at the plate recently, found his stride as a hitter. MLB.com writer Anthony DiComo highlighted the hot streak.
“The thing about a Mark Vientos breakout is that it’s not hard to envision. He’s shown all this before. The first such example came during Vientos’ actual breakout year of 2024, when he followed up a 27-homer regular season with an otherworldly performance in October, batting .327/.362/.636 with five home runs in 13 playoff games. Even with Francisco Lindor at the height of his powers, Vientos was the Mets’ best hitter that October.”
GettyMets infielder Mark Vientos
Everyone remembers Vientos breaking onto the national stage. With every swing, he looked the part of the Mets’ future. However, that did not last.
MARK VIENTOS’ SECOND HOME RUN OF THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/34xVRND6Vj
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 3, 2026
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2025 Saw Vientos Fall Back to Earth
After a breakout 2024, Vientos’ stats cratered. With more at-bats, he hit ten fewer home runs and ten fewer RBI. Worse, the drought occurred when the Mets needed him most. Over the last month of 2025, Vientos accumulated in a game just once in that month. Worse, the right-handed hitter endured 11 hitless games in that month. The Mets saw their playoff hopes evaporate.
“Given a chance to play every day at the start of last season, though, Vientos took a significant step backward, producing a .678 OPS over his first 53 games before a strained right hamstring further upended his campaign. Not only did Vientos finish the year with just a .702 OPS, he lost his grip on any sort of guaranteed job heading into this season.”
The Mets signed Bo Bichette, who’s never played third base, to man the position. Furthermore, adding Jorge Polanco initially closed off first base. Vientos found himself a man without a spot. It looked like he would show up as a designated hitter or spot starter. However, fate rarely paves a direct path for many.
GettyMets infiel;der Mark Vientos.
Mark Vientos since April 21:
.294/.368/.529 (.898), 2 HR, 8 RBI, 154 wRC+ pic.twitter.com/XlC8TX3TLk
— Dan Bartels (@DanBartels2) May 5, 2026
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Injuries and Setbacks Propel Vientos into Starting Role
First, Polanco deals with multiple injuries before finding his way onto the injured list. Then, starting shortstop Francisco Lindor joins him. As a result, spots open up at both third and first base. In the last four games, Vientos batted .277 with two home runs and seven RBI. While not word-beater stats, it shows the 26-year-old can still display the flashes that made him a force two seasons ago. Vientos knows that he would not be where he is without circumstance.
MARK VIENTOS INTO THE ROCK PILE!
A two-run shot to give the Mets the lead! pic.twitter.com/oLAK96d6xS
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 3, 2026
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“The injuries for sure suck. I’m not too happy about those,” Vientos said. “I just feel like if I trust my process and my routine throughout the season, eventually I’m going to come through and I’m going to do my thing.”
Regardless of who becomes available to return to the lineup, Vientos can hit his way into a starting job. The Mets need offense to prevent the season from fully collapsing. Without the lure of a big-money trade, they may need to rely on in-house options like Vientos.
Mets INF Mark Vientos Capitalizing on Chances Amid Team Injuries