Mark Vientos keeps proving to Mets he belongs: Confidence is there

WASHINGTON — Mark Vientos was recalled to the Mets on May 15 and from his first game started contributing offensively to a team that was in need of such a boost.The early returns were positive, but could he maintain it? It’s still too early to call the 24-year-old third baseman the real deal, but with each passing day Vientos is reinforcing the idea he belongs.“It seems like every time we win he contributes,” Francisco Lindor said Wednesday at Nationals Park.The winning has been plentiful lately, with the Mets in a stretch of 14 victories in 18 games as play began.On a broader scale the Mets had won 18 of 24, moved above .500 and were one game behind in the race for the NL’s last wild card.Vientos took a .305/.361/.574 slash line with 10 homers and 27 RBIs into play — and then added a two-run shot off of Nationals starter Mitchell Parker in the top of the fourth to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.Whether it’s been against right-handed or left-handed pitching, he has produced and his defense has been acceptable enough to keep him on the field every day.For Vientos, who has bounced between Triple-A Syracuse and the Mets for the last two seasons, it’s been the perfect marriage of proving he can play in the major leagues and helping the team win.“That is what it’s all about,” Vientos said.

“My job here is to help the team as much as I can and that is to help win games.I am happy for the success we are having right now and I want to keep going.

I am happy but not satisfied because we have still got a long season ahead of us.”Scouts still question if Vientos can handle velocity high in the strike zone and whether he’s got the instincts to play third base, but he has already passed one big test in manager Carlos Mendoza’s estimation in that pitchers have already seen enough of Vientos to start adjusting against him and the player has responded.“They are adjusting to him and whether it’s laying off some breaking balls, right-on-right or staying ...