Anthony Volpe’s buzz, Mets hopes battle, Braves worries

MLB Rumors: Which Mets prospect will make the Opening Day roster?

While most assumed it would be Brett Baty who would be more likely to make New York’s Opening Day roster, or receive the call-up first given the Mets’ lack of depth at third base, this could be Mark Vientos who has the most direct path to the major leagues.

The Mets consider Brett Baty their third baseman of the future, but for now Eduardo Escobar is cut as a starter. Despite Baty’s huge spring training, the caliber of throwing he pits against those numbers isn’t all that strong. According to Jon Heyman, “Baty can hit, but the Mets want him to get reps at bat and in the field.”

Baty would skip Triple-A if he were to start this year in the majors, and that’s a rare occurrence for corner infielders. As great as Baty is, he’s not Manny Machado or Nolan Arenado, at least not yet.

Meanwhile, Vientos has a faster path to the big ones as some scouts consider him New York’s top designated hitter. He might get bats there rather than change.

“It’s Vientos who have improved the most, and depending on (Darin) Ruf’s situation, he could be here sooner rather than later,” a scout predicted.