New York Mets fans frustrated as Mark Vientos not in lineup a day after hitting homer in season debut: "Make it make sense" "Oh for Buck sake"
On Wednesday, New York Mets third baseman/designated hitter Mark Vientos hit a game-tying, two-run home run in his 2023 debut.
On Thursday, he was noticably absent from the lineup card.
While the Mets went on to win both games, New Yorkers were stupefied at how manager Buck Showalter could leave Vientos on the bench in favor of Daniel Vogelbach in the DH spot.
A day after hitting a dramatic, game-tying, two-run homer in his 2023 debut, Mark Vientos... is out of the Mets lineup.
The New York Mets have an issue in that two of their prospective future stars – Mark Vientos and Brett Baty – are both third basemen. Vientos played third on Wednesday; Baty was at the hot corner on Thursday.
However, with both players perhaps a major part of the team's future and the DH available in the National League, fans are wondering why on God's green Earth are light-hitting journeyman slugger in Vogelbach and Tommy Pham seeing time at DH as either Vientos or Baty are sitting?
@AnthonyDiComo This is absolutely ridiculous
@AnthonyDiComo Make it make sense
@AnthonyDiComo This is why we can’t have nice things.
The fact that the New York Mets beat the Tampa Bay Rays – the best team in MLB – on both Wednesday and Thursday is taking a back seat to why Showalter seems so reluctant to "playing the kids."
New Yorkers sat through several weeks of Eduardo Escobar flail away at bat as the Mets' opening day third baseman before Baty finally got his call-up from Triple-A.
Now, Showalter seems intent to make Mets fans sit through either Pham or Vogelbach – hitting .200 and .247, respectively – at DH while either Baty or Mark Vientos sit.
@AnthonyDiComo Oh for buck sake…..
@AnthonyDiComo Buck has been horrible this entire year
@AnthonyDiComo Is Buck trying to put himself on the hot seat?
However, New York Mets fans are used to insanity. In fact, most New Yorkers have come to expect the Mets to make the wrong decision whenever possible. Mark Vientos went 1-for-4 in his season debut on Wednesday, but most figured he'd be riding the pine on Thursday as soon as he homered.
@AnthonyDiComo I think we all saw that coming.
@AnthonyDiComo One of many reasons that no one takes the Mets seriously
@AnthonyDiComo Literally everybody there last night said this would happen the second he homered
Showalter is known as an "old-time baseball man." Not exactly the kind of manager who is going to play youngsters willingly. Many Mets fans are wondering if he is the right kind of manager to be directing their team.
@AnthonyDiComo https://t.co/b4AWK0bQQ2
Mark Vientos likely to get his share of at-bats with the New York Mets
Vientos was hitting .333 with 13 homers and 37 RBIs over 38 games at Triple-A Syracuse when he was called up. He had a brief stint with the Mets at the end of the 2022 season, hitting .167 with one homer in 16 games.