The New York Mets are still deciding on a designated hitter.
After whiffing on Justin Turner, who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for $13 million, a DH addition in free agency has become less likely unless there is a price drop. This effectively rules out free agents J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler, who are coming off strong seasons and looking for bigger deals.
While SNY insider Andy Martino mentioned that there still is an outside chance of the Mets signing a cheap DH, the job will most likely come from within the organization. The current favorite is 24-year-old Mark Vientos, who played in 65 games in 2023.
Vientos largely struggled in 2023, with a .211/.253/.367 slash line, nine home runs, and a 69 wRC+. However, six of those homers came in September, which certainly provides optimism for improvement in 2024.
Currently, the book on Vientos is that he is a power hitter with a tendency to swing and miss. Last year saw a massive regression in plate discipline, as he struck out in 30.5% of his at-bats while posting a 4.3% walk rate, both of which would have resulted in poor percentiles on Baseball Savant had he met the 2.1 plate appearances per game to qualify. On the other hand, his 92.5 average exit velocity and 51% hard-hit rate would rank well above-average if he qualified.
Vientos showed much better plate discipline in his 2022 cup-of-coffee, with a 12.2% walk rate and 25.3% chase rate. The sharp decline of both of these rates contributed heavily to his 2023 growing pains, but if Vientos shows the patience he had during his brief debut, he can certainly evolve into a productive hitter.
Having a work-in-progress in Vientos as the primary DH is a perfect representation of the Mets' plans for 2024. President of baseball operations David Stearns wants to compete for a playoff spot right away, but owner Steve Cohen plans on reopening the "World Series or bust" window in 2025. As such, he wants to use 2024 as an evaluation year; although a playoff spot is a desirable goal for the Mets, it makes perfect sense for them to determine the players worth trying to build around before making a title push.
If 2024 is a year based on developing players, then selecting the 24-year-old Vientos as the team's DH is the optimal choice. Depending on the progress he makes in a key role, the Mets will see how he figures into the team's future.
More must-reads: