Mark Vientos has gone from future cornerstone to offseason question mark in a hurry, but the Mets may not be ready to give up on him just yet.
After a breakout 2024 season, Vientos has followed with back-to-back rough years in New York, and he is now being talked about as a non-tender candidate this offseason. Even so, there is still a legitimate case for the Mets to keep him around at least one more year.
The biggest reason is simple: the upside is still real. Vientos turns 27 in December and continues to carry the kind of power that teams bet on. There’s also real risk in letting him go now, because if the Mets non-tender him or tender him and trade him, he could land somewhere else and break out in a way that leaves New York regretting the move.
Scouts I’ve spoken with in recent years believe Vientos can be a 30+ home run slugger, and think that he will be accomplish this feat if he goes to another team. That belief isn’t built out of thin air.
In 2024, Vientos blasted a career-high 27 home runs in 111 games while hitting .266/.322/.516 with an .838 OPS and 3.1 bWAR. Even in a down 2025, he still managed 17 homers in 121 games.
The contract situation also matters here. Vientos still has three more years of club control, which gives the Mets some runway if they want to see whether the 2024 version was the real thing.
There’s also a path to regular playing time if he bounces back. If Vientos can hit enough, he could take over the everyday DH role.
He has done it before, and the Mets could use his right-handed bat if he gets back to his 2024 level. New York still needs to add a first baseman and possibly a second baseman, which could leave DH open for Vientos and a healthy Jorge Polanco.
The alternatives don’t exactly make the decision easier. Bringing back Christopher Morel, if Vientos is moved, “certainly isn’t the answer,” and Alec Bohm would cost substantially more money.
That’s why the smarter play may be to stay patient. The Mets would be better off riding with Vientos for at least one more year rather than risk losing a productive power bat that already flashed in 2024.
After letting Pete Alonso walk, the organization can’t afford another swing and miss by cutting bait on Vientos too soon. The other options to fill his spot or role just aren’t very good.
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