Such a question would have seemed asinine 12 months ago, in the wake of his 2024 star turn. As a 24-year-old, Vientos hit 27 home runs and produced a 134 OPS+ over 111 games. He turned it up a notch during the postseason, too, with five dingers and a .327/.362/.636 slash line over 13 games.
He looked like a middle-of-the-lineup fixture and the Mets’ third baseman for the future, even if his defense left a lot to be desired.
Vientos’ defense continued to be subpar in 2025, but the bigger concern was his offense. With a 97 OPS+, he was a below-league-average bat. His homer total dropped to 17 over 121 games. His slugging percentage fell by 103 points (.516 to .413).
That lack of production, combined with his poor defense, turned Vientos into a part-time player by midseason. And when he was in the lineup during the second half of the year, he was relegated to DH duties more often than not.
With Vientos’ 2026 role in flux, let’s take a look at a couple of things that played a part in his disappointing 2025 — and why there may be a reason for optimism moving forward.
A cursory look at Vientos’ Baseball Savant page doesn’t offer many immediate answers as to why this past season was so different than 2024. Yeah, his barrel rate went down from 14.1% to 11.5%, but that’s still a pretty healthy number.
His strikeout rate, whiff rate, ground-ball rate – they all went down.
His hard-hit rate and pulled airball rate — those went up.
He did miss a game in April with a groin injury and was sidelined for most of June with a strained right hamstring. Those could have played a factor in his results, but Vientos’ stat line was already looking gaunt by both of those points.
What does stand out is Vientos’ success – or lack thereof — against fastballs from 2024 to ‘25.
Vientos vs. 4-seamers, sinkers and cutters 2024: .326 average, .615 slugging, 18 HRs in 240 plate appearances
Vientos vs. 4-seamers, sinkers and cutters, 2025: .236 average, .441 slugging, 10 HRs in 240 plate appearances
Against pitches that were 95 mph or faster, Vientos’ numbers were starkly different from his breakout year. But note the BABIP column in the above link; Vientos certainly had some batted-ball luck on such pitches in 2024, but he also probably deserved a little better luck in ‘25. (The league-average BABIP on 95+ mph pitches this past season was .297.)
Vientos entered Aug. 17 slashing just .232/.276/.372 for the season. He bopped a three-run homer that night, got red-hot over the next few weeks and ultimately hit 10 homers over his final 38 games. Even if you include a late-September swoon, Vientos had a .535 slugging percentage over his final 145 PAs. His expected slugging percentage, which takes his batted-ball quality into account, was .553.
Finally Vientos’ 20.2% barrel rate over this closing stretch was eighth best in MLB (minimum 50 batted balls). He was in good company, too.
What does the future hold?
Given his defensive shortcomings, Vientos is likely a DH-first player moving forward, especially given Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns’ stated commitment to improving the team’s run prevention. So, even if Pete Alonso leaves via free agency, it doesn’t seem like Vientos would suddenly find himself at first base, a position where he has played only 17 games in his career.
But without Alonso, the Mets would have a big hole to fill when it comes to right-handed power. If you omit Alonso and Vientos, Francisco Alvarez’s 11 homers were the most by a Mets right-handed hitter last year. Starling Marte was right behind him with nine homers, and he’s a free agent. Jesse Winker is also a free agent, and those two collectively played more than half of the team’s games at DH. If neither is re-signed, that’s another scenario in which Vientos’ value to the Mets might be greater than it looks right now.
Maybe Vientos does get moved within the next few months. But he is entering his age-26 season, is under club control through 2029, is one year removed from a standout offensive season and did show positive signs at the plate near the end of a tough 2025. Giving up on such a player, even one with clear limitations, might raise a few eyebrows.
