Mark Vientos thinks Mets were ‘forcing wins’ last season as pressure mounted

PORT ST. LUCIE — As Mark Vientos considers the Mets’ collapse last season, he suspects the team was “forcing wins.”

In what manner?

“It’s when there’s a bunch of noise and a bunch of talking, it’s just you go out there and play and don’t have fun,” Vientos said Monday. “It’s just like, ‘I gotta win. I gotta win.’ And I feel like we put too much pressure on ourselves last year.”

It’s a team that had the major leagues’ best record in mid-June before beginning a freefall that culminated with the Mets going 21-32 over the final two months to miss the playoffs by one victory.

That’s over now, and Vientos — as one of the players who underperformed last season following his breakout 2024 — is focused on ensuring there isn’t a repeat.

Last season Vientos produced a .233/.289/.413 slash line with 17 homers and 61 RBIs.

Vientos had one strong month — August — but had an otherwise disappointing year in which he lost his starting job, leaving the 26-year-old’s future within the organization in question.

Mark Vientos is pictured at spring training Feb. 9. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post

“It was just inconsistency overall,” Vientos said. “I think it starts with the routine and stuff before the game starts. I was inconsistent in that part and then that just kind of showed in my season. I didn’t feel good for most of the year. I didn’t have a routine to fall back on, that could keep me steady.”

He will begin camp without a true position, after the team signed Jorge Polanco and Bo Bichette to anchor the corner infield positions.

Vientos could see occasional action at first base behind Polanco and receive at-bats in a part-time DH role.

He’s also still taking grounders at third base in case he is needed.

Vientos indicated spring training will have a different feel following the departures of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Díaz, but roster turnover is a natural part of the game.

Mark Vientos connects on a single during the Mets’ Sept. 28 game. Charles Wenzelberg

“I feel like there’s always a new group of guys every year, so it’s not really something different,” Vientos said. “I have [Brett] Baty still, I have [Francisco] Alvarez, [Ronny] Mauricio. Those are guys I have known since the beginning and they are still here with me, so it’s awesome to be around them still.”