Slighted by IBB, Vientos’ slam helps Mets get even
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — The intentional walk, if you think about it, was appropriate. Two runners were on in a two-run game. First base was open with two outs. Francisco Lindor, a potential MVP who had already homered, was up to bat. And yet Mark Vientos, who would deliver the grand slam that set the tone in the New York Mets‘ 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday, said he “took it personal.”
That reaction, if you ask Vientos’ teammates, was also appropriate.
“My man’s got a lot of confidence in himself,” said Sean Manaea, the Mets’ winning pitcher. “I love that.”
Vientos’ grand slam off Landon Knack, who was expected to do most of the work in what qualified as a bullpen game for the Dodgers, capped a five-run second inning that helped the Mets split the first two games from Dodger Stadium, evening the best-of-seven NLCS with three games from New York’s Citi Field on tap.
It was also the continuation of a miraculous run for Vientos — from an .820 OPS over the regular season’s last four months to the game-winning hit in the postseason opener, the game-tying single in Game 1 of the NL Division Series and, now, the big home run in a game the Mets desperately needed.
At 24 years and 308 days old, Vientos became the youngest player to hit a grand slam in the history of this round, a mere 49 days younger than Rafael Devers in 2021. Vientos’ 11 RBIs are tied for the most in Mets postseason history through a player’s first nine games, along with John Olerud in 1999, Carlos Delgado in 2006 and Daniel Murphy in 2015. All told, Vientos is slashing .378/.410/.676 with three home runs in October.
And yet the most impressive thing about him might be this: An unheralded player who didn’t have a job early this season was insulted that an opposing team would walk one of the game’s best players ahead of him.
“That’s who he is,” Lindor said of Vientos. “I’m glad he took it personal. He’s got to continue to climb.”
The Dodgers’ pitching staff entered Monday’s game on a string of 33 consecutive scoreless innings, tied with the 1966 Baltimore Orioles for the most in postseason history. Lindor put an end to that by working an eight-pitch at-bat against opener Ryan Brasier and finishing it with a leadoff homer. The Mets continued to apply pressure in the next inning. Starling Marte started with a single, Jesse Winker drew a walk and Tyrone Taylor came up with an RBI double two batters later, putting runners on second and third and setting up Lindor’s intentional walk.
Vientos felt ready.
“I want to be up there during that at-bat,” he said. “I want them to walk Lindor in that situation, put me up there. And at that point I was just, ‘Let me simplify the game, just get one run in, get a walk — whatever I can do to add another run to the score.’ And luckily I hit a bomb.”
Vientos is navigating through his first postseason, but his ability to simplify at-bats — to slow his thoughts, remain calm, keep his body under control — has stood out to those who have watched him closely. Those traits showed again in his confrontation with Knack. Vientos took a first-pitch ball, then fouled off back-to-back sliders. Knack used those pitches to set up a high fastball to try for a strikeout, but Vientos fouled the pitch back. He later took two sliders low and away “with ease,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
When he got another fastball — a pitch Vientos was hoping for but didn’t expect — it traveled right down the middle. Rather than aggressively try to pull the pitch, Vientos saw it deep into the zone and smacked it to the opposite field, a 102 mph line drive that snuck over the wall in right-center. Vientos went deep on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, after the most pitches seen before a grand slam in the past 50 postseasons, according to ESPN Research.
“You didn’t see a big swing,” Mendoza said. “It was, ‘Let me put it in play. Let me stay in the big part of the ballpark.’ And he was able to drive that one. You see the next at-bat, against a lefty, just going the other way with ease and just shoot the ball the other way. That’s a sign of not only a good hitter, but someone that is mature and is under control. It doesn’t matter the situation.”
You can say the same thing about the 2024 Mets, who have followed all three of their postseason losses with multiple-run victories.
Manaea, who transformed his career by dropping his arm slot and pitching across his body, held the Dodgers to only a Max Muncy home run through the first five innings, keeping a big early lead intact. The Mets nearly fumbled it away in a sixth inning that saw Jose Iglesias and Pete Alonso misplay groundballs, but Phil Maton got a red-hot Kiké Hernández to bounce into an inning-ending double play to preserve a three-run lead. Ryne Stanek followed, then Edwin Diaz came in for the four-out save.
The Mets will now have three straight games at Citi Field.
In other words, they have a chance to clinch one of the most improbable World Series berths in recent memory at home.
“Playing in front of the New York fans is the best,” Vientos said. “I’m excited to get back.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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