Top prospect Mark Vientos has been mashing down in AAA; but did the New York Mets ultimately wait too long to call him up?
At 20-23, inexplicably in fourth place in the National League East, Steve Cohen's handsomely-paid Mets are one of the laughingstocks of MLB right now.
The low-payroll Marlins are in second at 21-21, and of course that looks horrible in terms of comparative optics.
Looking for a mythical Knight in Shining Armor, Cohen and stumbling GM Billy Eppler have finally decided to call Vientos up from AAA. Vientos was arguably the best player in the entire league down there, so one has to wonder — what took so long?
NY Mets: Steve Cohen, Billy Eppler and front office need to step up
As I have been preaching since the 2022 trade deadline, I believe the Mets' greatest weaknesses are in management. Showalter has managed 3,274 MLB games without winning a World Series, and Eppler had a putrid 332-376 record as the embattled GM of the Angels, despite one of the highest payrolls in the league.
Showalter and Eppler's managerial struggles have only been exacerbated this season.
Showalter's mind-boggling bullpen management has cost the Mets a number of victories, not to mention batting orders that make absolutely no sense.
Eppler's offseason — after arguably the worst trade deadline in MLB history — was a disaster from start to finish. Eppler added old players nearing retirement, as well as unproven commodities that apparently need much more seasoning at the MLB level.
This season, as the Mets continue to play poorly and tumble down the standings, very little has been done by all managerial parties. Cohen is also to blame in all this. He has placed too much blind faith in the unsuccessful pairing of Eppler and Showalter.
As the Braves continue to pull away in the standings, the Mets' leaders have done nothing about it.
Is Mark Vientos the one to save the Mets, now?
First things first, how long do they think this kid is going to stay hot for? He's been mashing all season, so what took so long?
The same goes for Ronny Mauricio, who has been one of the best hitters in the entirety of minor league baseball.
It's simply unfair to put it all on their shoulders, now.
I doubt Vientos will be the answer because of the way Eppler and Showalter handle rookies. Impressive youngster Brett Baty has already gotten far too much rest, and the same could be said for power-hitting Francisco Alvarez.
If the Mets really want to develop young stars, why aren't they batting every single day? How can you truly evaluate them without getting a consistent, long look?
Especially now, with the NL East crown basically out of the question. The Braves are running away with this thing, as well they should be.
In the end, Vientos should have been called up when the Mets were closer to the Braves in the standings, but still showing many signs of weakness. Cohen, Eppler and Showalter haven't had their fingers on the pulse of this team throughout the entire season.
Now… it's simply too little, too late.
John Frascella is a published baseball author who has been covering MLB for 19 years. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 for all things MLB, NBA and NFL throughout the year.
