J.D. Martinez pays it forward, and Mets teammate Mark Vientos is taking full advantage

PHOENIX − Mark Vientos sits on the bench at Chase Field, tilts his head back, closes his eyes and slowly lets his mind drift, soaking in the irony.

Five months ago, in the final days of spring training, the man standing nearby cost Vientos his job as the New York Mets full-time designated hitter and relegated him to the minors.

The same man, J.D. Martinez, also happens to be the same one who has played an integral role in Vientos’ breakout season, emerging into one of the finest young third basemen in the game.

“It was tough when I got sent down,’’ Vientos quietly says, “real tough. But honestly, when I think about it, it turned out to be the best thing to happen to my career.

“J.D. has meant so much to me. He’s helped a lot. I wouldn’t be having this season without him, and some of the veterans on our team.’’

Vientos leads all National League third basemen with 21 home runs, hitting .276 with 56 RBI and an .873 OPS, 48% higher than the league average. He’s averaging a home run every 14.86 at-bats, the sixth-best percentage in the National League, and fifth in the league with a .542 slugging percentage. In the last 57 games, he has 16 homers with 15 doubles, 40 RBI and an .879 OPS.

The Mets may have an MVP candidate in shortstop Francisco Lindor, but without Vientos, the Mets aren’t even in sniffing distance of the final wild-card spot in the National League, sitting 4 games behind Atlanta.

“He has meant everything to us,’’ Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “This guy has done such a good job handling adversity. He went through a lot. He went to spring training with a pretty good chance of making the ballclub, and the last week we sign J.D., and he gets the news that he’s going back to the minors.’’

Vientos was having a fabulous spring training with a .795 OPS, and projected to be the Mets DH until March 23, right up until when Martinez signed a one-year, $12 million free agent contract.

Just like that, instead of having the opportunity of being an everyday player, being in Milwaukee with the rest of his teammates for the season-opener against the Brewers, he was packing his bags for Triple-A Syracuse.

“He was in a bad mood and pouty when I signed,’’ Martinez tells USA TODAY Sports. “I told him, 'Don’t hate me. I didn’t do nothing. If anything, I’m doing you a favor, ok? The last thing you want to be is a 24-year-old DH. You want to be in the field dude.’

“I don’t think he understood it at the time because he was frustrated. He wanted to be in the big leagues. But he does now.’’

Oh, does he ever.

“I’m proud of how much I’ve learned these past couple of months,’’ Vientos says. “Forget the results. Forget how I’m doing. I’m just so excited on all of the info that I’ve learned and I’ve gained just being up here with a great group of guys who have done it for awhile.

“I’ve progressed so much just being around them that I’m just excited to see what’s next. What else can I learn? What else could I get better with.’’

Vientos has learned the art of visualizing success, from the moment he wakes up in the morning at 10, until his head hits the pillow at night. He has gotten into a daily routine of taking a morning walk, grabbing that first cup of coffee, eating a nutritional breakfast and giving up − or, well at least reducing − his appetite for pepperoni pizza, while mixing in meditation and visualization.

“I feel like the everyday lifestyle of a professional athlete is tough,’’ Vientos says. “And I think the way to stay consistent on the field, you have to be consistent off the field. I had a good routine on the field, but never off-the field. Obviously, there’s a lot more work to do.

“But I’m telling you, he (Martinez) has helped a lot. He’ll act like he hasn’t taught me anything, but just being around him and picking his brain, he has helped me so much.’’

Martinez, 37, says he’s simply paying it forward after the way he was treated early in his career. He was drafted in 2009 by the Houston Astros and was released five years later, wondering if his career was over before it started.

He signed with the Detroit Tigers and his career instantly changed, thanks to the guidance and leadership of veteran All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter, along with Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. The next thing he knew, he became a six-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger winner and has earned $153.9 million in his career.

“I learned more from Torii in that one year than any other veteran guy in my career,’’ Martinez says. “When I was in Houston, I didn’t have that help. They had all young guys, and the veteran guys, well they thought they were the best. They never helped the young guys.

“I remember saying that when I got older, if I ever reached that level, I would never be that guy. It bothered me so much. Here I was a young player, grinding and asking all of these questions, and they would just blow me off.

“When I went to Detroit, Torii was willing to help. You can ask those guys questions, and they’d actually help you. It was like, 'Wow, this is how it’s supposed to be.’ Torii was so good at the intangibles in the game, picking up little things, and teach me every day. …

“Getting released was the best thing that happened to me.’’

And for Vientos, well, getting demoted to the minors may just turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to him, too.

“It was tough getting sent down, Vientos says. “But for me, I was so confident in my ability that I knew I was major-league ready to have a great season. I was like, 'Ok, I guess I’ll wait for my opportunity. I’m ready. I know I’m ready. I’ll just play the waiting game.

“It motivated me. I use a lot of things towards my motivation, a lot of negative things and turn it into positive.’’

Vientos has had plenty of practice dealing with adversity. This is a guy who was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft, became their fourth-best prospect in 2022, but was sent down to the minors five times since his Sept. 11, 2022, major-league debut.

If it wasn’t heartbreaking enough to be sent to the minors after Martinez signed, it only got worse. Vientos was called up April 27 after producing a .923 OPS at Syracuse to replace Starling Marte, who went on the bereavement list. He went 3-for-7 with a walk-off homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in three games and was sent back down again.

“He hits that big homer, gets sent back down,’’ Mendoza said, “hey, that’s not easy you know.’’

Vientos finally caught his break two weeks later when he was called up to replace Brett Baty, who won the starting third-base job in spring training. He slashed .310/.370/.548 for the rest of May and never let it go, earning the full-time third base job, with Baty now out for the season with a broken left index finger.

No one is going to confuse Vientos with perennial Gold Glovers Nolan Arenado or Matt Chapman at third base, but he has improved dramatically. He has been steady defensively and surreal with his consistency at the plate.

“He’s spring boarding himself into becoming a superstar,’’ Mets All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso said. “He’s having a phenomenal year. If he keeps compounding good year after good year, he's going to be one of the game’s biggest names. He’s just grown tremendously, both as a player and as a person, and totally blossomed.

“People obviously talk about the bat, but I don’t think enough people give him credit for the type of plays he’s making at third base. It’s amazing the leaps and bounds he’s taken defensively. He’s made some absolutely spectacular plays. He’s been phenomenal.’’

It’s possible, of course, that Vientos could still be the Mets’ DH in 2025, or even first base if Alonso departs as a free agent, but if it’s up to Vientos, he’s not going anywhere.

“I love third base,’’ says Vientos, “this is where I want to play the rest of my career. I don’t want to be a DH. I really don’t.’’

Martinez breaks into an expansive grin when he hears Vientos’ sentiments, knowing that he was paying attention. Martinez has been preaching to him that he’s going to be making a whole lot of money one day if he can do a whole lot more than just swing the bat.

“I harp on that a lot because when I came up, they didn’t emphasize defense,’’ Martinez said. “They’d say, you hit 30 (homers) and 100 (RBI), they’ll back the truck up. I found out that quickly, well, you can do that, but they want defense. It’s just as important. If I’d been able to play defense, I’d have made twice the money.

“That’s what I’ve been preaching to him. 'Dude, you got the hitting thing. You’re going to be fine there. But as much time as you spend on offense in the off-season, spend just as much time on defense. You’re just 24. I’m 37. DH is for the old guys.

“So, dude, this offseason, put your heart and soul into learning how to play defense. Go be the best.’’

Vientos, only the fifth player in Mets’ history to hit at least 20 homers and 20 doubles at the age of 24 or younger, is taking it all to heart.

“The hitting, the power, that was always there,’’ says Diamondbacks veteran infielder Luis Guillorme, who has known Vientos since he was in high school in Plantation, Florida. “If someone says they didn’t see that, they’re lying. But now you’re seeing the defense now, too.

“I’m telling you, he’s going to be good. Really, really good.’’

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mets 3B Mark Vientos fuels demotion into breakout season