Mark Vientos beginning to heat up for New York Mets

After a rough 2-for-27 start to the season, Vientos has quietly warmed up at the plate. A torrid stretch over his last 27 games has seen Vientos hit .307 with four doubles, five home runs, and 16 RBI, raising his batting average from .074 all the way to .241.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has also shown some tough love to Vientos, benching him for consecutive games last week in part to provide a little extra motivation for his third baseman not to get complacent. Vientos has responded with a five-game hitting streak, going 8-for-19 (.421) with a home run and two RBI over that span.

There is also a bit of internal competition for Vientos in the form of a red-hot Brett Baty, who has been on a tear since returning from Triple-A Syracuse last week. While the injury to Jesse Winker has created opportunities for both Vientos and Baty to play while utilizing the DH, Vientos' hot hitting has made him a mainstay in the lineup, which the Mets really need to unlock their true potential.

The Mets saw how dynamic Vientos can be in their lineup during last year's playoff run, which saw him set a franchise record for the most RBI in a single postseason and gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a very difficult time in the NLCS. While the top of the Mets' lineup features three elite hitters in Lindor, Soto, and Alonso, having a guy like Vientos be productive as well makes things extremely difficult for opposing pitchers.