At this point in time, Mark Vientos looks overmatched at the major league level. I had a scout once tell me that his issue was his swing and miss rate. Last year, even with his 27 home runs, his number was high at 29.7% according to Statcast. This year, it’s better at 24.7, so what else is the issue?  

He’s not getting as many fastballs to hit. He has 22 strikeouts against fastballs and 27 strikeouts against breaking balls. Vientos is hitting .105 against off-speed pitches. The league has adjusted to him, and he hasn’t been able to adjust to the pitching. At 25, now what?  

Another thing I noticed was the rate the ball hits the barrel of his bat. Last year it was 14.1% and this year it’s 6.3%. That’s just not good enough and after the All-Star break it’s a pennant race and he either has to be traded or sent to the minors. You always try the trade route first with the trade deadline approaching on the 31st. 

You want to give players a chance and the Mets have. The Mets have other options and Ronny Mauricio maybe it, even over Brett Baty. The Mets have needs and teams will ask for these three players and depending on the player, I can see one of them being dealt.  

Sean Manaea Mostly Looked Good in His Last AAA Start 

I liked the way he was throwing free and easy. He did have a 1-2-3 first inning. I didn’t like the three-run homer he gave up leaving a breaking ball over the plate. I know the broadcast was more forgiving than I am but he’s ready to be with the big club and I saw he and Clay Holmes should be pitching the day before the All-Star break. His velocity was at 92. I know he’s hit 95.5 on some occasions and I think it may be a while until he can do that. Still, it’s great to see him finally be healthy enough to pitch again.