Mark Vientos’ Historic Postseason Run For The Ages
Baseball is a game full of surprises, and few players exemplify that more than Mark Vientos. Absent from the Mets’Opening Day roster, Vientos has gone from a fringe player to an everyday starter and now a postseason hero, delivering one of the most unforgettable playoff performances in franchise history.
In Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vientos smashed a two-run homer, bringing his postseason RBI total to 14—breaking the Mets’ single-postseason record previously held by John Olerud and Curtis Granderson, who had 12 RBIs in 1999 and 2015, respectively.
Mark Vientos hits a two-run shot to get the deficit to three runs.
Vientos now owns the record for the most RBIs in a single postseason run in Mets history.
6-3 Dodgers, middle 4. pic.twitter.com/AutSXs4BeC
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) October 21, 2024
Since making his MLB debut with the Mets in 2022, Vientos has experienced his best season yet. The 24-year-old finally earned a full-time role, playing 100+ games for the first time in his career. When Brett Baty, the Mets’ initial starting third baseman, struggled early in the season, Vientos was called up on May 15. By the time Baty was sent down on May 31, Vientos had taken over the hot corner and never looked back.
Though he may not yet have the big-name recognition of third-base stars like Manny Machado or Alex Bregman, Vientos outshined them in a key metric: wRC+. Among MLB third basemen with at least 400 plate appearances, only José Ramírez and Rafael Devers posted a higher OPS than Vientos, underscoring his standout year. Vientos had the highest wRC+ for a third baseman in the National League in 2024 at 133, with at least 400 plate appearances.
In the regular season, Vientos slashed .266/.322/.516/.837, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 71 RBIs over 111 games, making him one of the most productive third basemen in the National League. But his postseason performance took things to another level. In 13 playoff games, Vientos hit .327/.362/.636/.998, with five home runs and 14 RBIs. His fifth home run, a shot off Dodgers reliever Ryan Brasier, added to his record-setting run.
Vientos also made history in Game 2 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium, becoming the youngest player to hit a grand slam in LCS history, helping the Mets tie the series. Earlier in the playoffs, he had a two-homer game against the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS, becoming the third-youngest player to record 10 total bases in a postseason game.
Throughout the 13 postseason games, Vientos only went hitless in three, proving himself a star at the hot corner for the Mets. As he approaches his 25th birthday in December, Vientos is set to be a key figure in the Mets’ 2025 lineup. His breakout year and stellar playoff performance have solidified his importance in the team’s success and remarkable turnaround this season.
“I proved myself,” Vientos said. “I feel like I proved myself at the Major-League level, which is what I wanted to do, and I’m happy with that.”
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