3 Mets prospects who should be promoted and who they’ll replace
By Mark Powell
The New York Mets have some tough decisions to make this season with several top prospects nearing the major leagues.
New York finally, mercifully did the right thing and promoted Brett Baty to the MLB level. Baty is one of the best prospects in all of baseball, and No. 2 on the Mets list. He’s second only to Francisco Alvarez, who was also called up just a few weeks ago. FanSided’s Kristen Wong discussed the Mets initial reservations with Baty, which have since been squashed:
"“New York had reservations about Baty heading into 2023 due to his lack of experience and defense, but it seems like Baty’s prowess with the bat in recent weeks has ultimately convinced the team’s brass to call him up earlier rather than later.”"
Alvarez and Baty are only the first in a new wave of Mets talent, specifically young players from the minor leagues who will provide some much-needed depth to the roster down the stretch.
Baty and Alvarez will not be alone, as New York has plenty of weaknesses that can be solved merely by looking internally.
Mets rumors: New York should call at Mark Vientos
As exciting as Brett Baty’s call-up was, it shouldn’t distract from the fact that Mark Vientos is arguably the more flexible player. Vientos can play a sound third and first base, which could make him the more valuable commodity for this New York team down the stretch.
MLB Pipeline’s scouting report for Vientos describes him as a powerful slugger, and one who compares well to his future teammate — Mets first baseman Pete Alonso:
"“The slugger is capable of exhibiting at least plus raw power with exit velocities going above 110 mph, and his 45.8 percent hard-hit rate was about equal to Pete Alonso’s in the Majors, albeit over a much smaller sample. That said, Vientos started putting the ball on the ground more than ever in 2022 — 48.4 percent of the time, 14th-highest among 107 Triple-A qualifiers — and his power comes more from natural strength than bat speed, calling into question how he’ll handle big league arms.”"
New York has tried moving Vientos around the diamond to an area he may be able to contribute in right away, and they should continue to do so. His bat is too great not to be New York’s everyday lineup soon.
In terms of who he’ll replace, Eduardo Escobar appears to be on the outs in Queens. While optioning Escobar is out of the question, they could designate him for assignment.