MLB Rumors: Anthony Volpe buzz, Mets prospect battle, Braves concerns
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Which Mets prospect will make the Opening Day roster?
While most assumed it would be Brett Baty who is more like to make New York’s Opening Day roster, or receive the call-up first considering the Mets lack of depth at third base, it could be Mark Vientos who has the more direct path to the major leagues.
The Mets view Brett Baty as their third baseman of the future, but for now Eduardo Escobar is entrenched as the starter. Despite Baty’s huge spring training, the caliber of pitching he is putting up those numbers against isn’t all that strong. Per Jon Heyman, “Baty can hit, but the Mets want him to get reps at bat, and in the field.”
Baty would skip Triple-A if he were to start this year in the majors, and that’s a rare occurrence for corner infielders. As great as Baty is, he’s no Manny Machado or Nolan Arenado, at least not yet.
Meanwhile, Vientos has a quicker path to the bigs, as some scouts view him as New York’s best designated hitter. He could receive at-bats there sooner rather than alter.
“Vientos has improved the most, and depending on the [Darin] Ruf situation, he might be here sooner rather than later,” one scout predicted.