Mets' Polanco Struggles, Vientos' Opportunity

On March 31st, the Mets went all in this offseason,

signing Jorge Palanco to a two-year, $40 million deal to bolster their infield around.

Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.

They shifted the 32-year-old lefty from second base to first,

but his start has been rough with just one hit and 15 played appearances.

Palanco bows back strong last year with the Mariners,

hitting 26 homers, driving in 78 runs, and posting an 8-21 OPS.

Over 100 NBA games.

Now, ahead of their matchup with the Cardinals,

manager Carlos Mendoza slotted him as designated hitter

due to a nagging Achilles issue there,

playing it safe with,

instead of turning to Mark Vientos,

who got one pinch hit last weekend,

Mendoza picked Jared Young at first base

for the platoon edge against the righty starter.

Vientos, a 26-year-old power bat,

had a down year in 2025 with 17 homers in 121 games,

but fans and analysts wonder why he's riding the pine despite trade buzz.

That 2024 season showed his upside though,

crushing 27 homers and 71 RBI's

while helping the Mets reach the NLCS.

With Palanco's sideline short term,

this opens a real shot for Vientos to claim every day at bats.

The Mets lineup is still jelling early on,

so how Mendoza mixes in Vientos

could unlock their offense and set the tone for a deep run.

That's your update from New York Mets News today,

powered by AI.

I'm Corey with The Story.