The New York Mets won’t tolerate players not giving 100% on the field.
Mark Vientos, the Mets’ budding star third baseman, was publicly called out by his manager after not running hard during a ground ball to third base on Tuesday.
During the Mets’ loss to the Marlins, Vientos was jogging to first base when Miami’s Graham Pauley fumbled the ball. Vientos noticed and kicked it into another gear, but it was all for naught as Pauley threw him out on what should’ve been an error.
New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) scores a run during the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
Vientos told reporters on Wednesday that he wasn’t just reprimanded by his manager, Carlos Mendoza, but also team captain Francisco Lindor and first base coach Antoan Richardson after the game for not running hard on the groundout.
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“It’s unacceptable,” he told reporters. “It won’t happen again.”
Vientos admitted that he wasn’t trying to run his hardest when he saw the ball chop down to third base.
New York Mets third base Mark Vientos (27) walks to load the bases against Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu (52) in the eighth inning at Daikin Park. (Thomas Shea-Imagn Images)
“I hit it to third base and kind of started jogging out of the box, coasting,” Vientos explained. “Then, I heard the crowd giving a reaction like he dropped it, but at that point, it was too late. I should have been sprinting from the [start], right when he hit it.”
Vientos blossomed for the Mets last season, having a breakout year with a .266/.322/.516 slash line, 27 homers and 71 RBI over 111 regular-season games.
He got hot in the postseason as well, going 18 for 55 with five homers and 14 RBI in the Mets’ run to the NLCS.
New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) runs to first base on an RBI double during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
It’s been a slow start to the 2025 campaign for the 25-year-old, as he has just two hits over 19 at-bats in five games.
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