Mark Vientos

Vientos earned a promotion to the big club in mid-May following a monster start to the season at Triple-A Syracuse. He struggled to replicate the success with the Mets, as he banged out nine home runs over 233 plate appearances but also posted a .620 OPS while striking out at a 30.5 percent clip. Vientos has fanned at a 27 percent rate during his time at Double- and Triple-A, so we probably can't count on much of an improvement with his strikeout rate in 2024. He did also draw walks at a 10.1 percent rate during those stops in the minors, so the 4.3 percent rate he had with the Mets could tick up. Ultimately, Vientos is likely to go as far as his power will take him, and he did collect a robust 51 percent hard-hit rate and 10.7 percent barrel rate. The 24-year-old could only have designated hitter eligibility initially in your fantasy league, and that spot might be his clearest path to playing time with the Mets.

A solid season with Triple-A Syracuse earned Vientos his first major league callup in September. He posted a .885 OPS in 101 games on the farm but slipped to a .546 mark in 15 games with the big club. Power is Vientos best asset, though he'll have to overcome a strikeout rate just under 30% for it to manifest. When he makes contact, it's often in the air and usually hard hit. A third baseman by trade, Vientos has also dabbled at first base and left field. His clearest path to playing time could be as designated hitter, though there is an outside chance he can sneak in at the hot corner. Vientos is an intriguing speculative play as a late rounder in draft and hold formats. Note, in most leagues, he'll begin the season only eligible at utility since he served as designated hitter 11 times as opposed to just two games at third base.

Mets prospects rarely get underrated, but that seems to be the case with Vientos. He will beat Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio to the majors and all three players are long-term options at the hot corner. Vientos hit .281/.352/.581 with 25 home runs, a 28.7 K% and a 9.5 BB% in 83 games at Double-A and Triple-A. His 34.7 Hard% was elite for a 21-year-old hitter in the upper levels and he also excelled at using the whole field (Pull% under 40%) and getting the ball in the air (GB% under 40%). Vientos isn't a great defender at third base or left field, and his strikeout rate suggests he won't be a batting average asset, but his potential 70-grade game power should carry the day. He will spend most of his age-22 season back at Triple-A waiting for everyday playing time to open up on the big-league roster.

Vientos has never been a below-average hitter relative to the leagues he has played in, but his 2018 run in the Appalachian League is the only time he has produced like an appealing fantasy prospect. Typically young for his level, he was age-appropriate as a 19-year-old in the Sally League and managed just 12 home runs and a 105 wRC+ in 454 PA. A 6-foot-4 right-handed slugger, Vientos handles southpaws fine, but logged a .705 OPS against same-handed pitching. His 4.8 BB% is also a troubling metric. That level of offensive performance would barely cut it if he were a slick-fielding shortstop, but at this point it would be a win for the Mets if he sticks at the hot corner, given his below-average speed and mobility. He is only entering his age-20 season, and he undeniably has plus raw power, but he is only a surefire hold in deeper dynasty leagues.

Vientos was drafted with the No. 59 pick in 2017, has not had any significant injuries, yet will not be making his full-season debut until 2019. Such is the typical path for the youngest prep hitter in a draft class. He did not turn 19 until this offseason, so it's not like he will be old for the Sally League, he just needed two years worth of short-season reps to prepare for the challenge. Vientos flashed his power upside in 2017, hitting four homers in the Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old, but his performance in 2018 was even more impressive. He was the Appy League's third youngest hitter, yet ranked in the top 10 in wRC+ (132), ISO (.202) and BB/K (0.86). At 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, he has an ideal frame for his age and position. It is not a stretch to say he is tracking toward 30-plus homer power, and while he is unlikely to ever hit .300, his 14.1 BB% portends a high enough OBP to justify placement in the middle of a big-league lineup.

Betting on the youngest of the prep hitters in a draft class will often bear fruit, and Vientos is the prime example from 2017. When he turned 18 in December he already had 51 pro games under his belt and a $1.5 million signing bonus in his bank account. At 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, and as a below-average runner, it would be pretty optimistic to expect him to stick at shortstop long term, but he should fill out nicely and resemble a prototypical power-hitting third baseman. The most encouraging aspect of his first crack at pro pitching was the four home runs he hit as the sixth youngest position player in the Gulf Coast League. Typically prospects like Vientos take a year or two to start showing off their power potential, but he wasted no time confirming the Mets’ evaluation of his long-term power upside. A hot August in the GCL (.307/.340/.477) earned him a brief taste of the Appalachian League, and he could be aggressively assigned to Low-A this spring.