PHILADELPHIA — Mark Vientos is affectionately called “Swaggy V” by his teammates in the New York Mets clubhouse, but after Sunday night, a more appropriate nickname might be “Agent of Chaos.”

Vientos caused a lot of chaos in the Mets’ Game 2 NLDS loss on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, though it was mostly the good kind. The 24-year-old third baseman hit two home runs, one to give the Mets their first lead in a game where the lead changed five times, and one to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Defensively, he botched a transfer trying to throw a runner out at home and collided with Brandon Nimmo on a pop-up in the outfield, knocking the wind out of him.

Luckily, Nimmo is fine. The crowd was so loud the two couldn’t hear one another when Vientos called everyone else off.

“It just felt like in football back in the day when you used to get a football underneath the pads,” Nimmo said. “I haven’t had that in a long time, so I just need a second to get the air back in my lungs.”

While he might be playing in his first postseason, it sure doesn’t look that way when he’s at the plate. The Mets have raved about his ability to slow the game down, place the ball where it’s needed and crush left-handed pitching.

With the Philadelphia Phillies up 6-4 in the top of the ninth, manager Rob Thomson made the mistake of bringing in left-hander Matt Strahm to face No. 9 hitter Harrison Bader, then Francisco Lindor and Vientos at the top of the order.

Lindor singled off Strahm and Vientos hit a high fly that kept carrying all the way back to the left field seats for his second two-run homer of the night.

“He’s not afraid of the situation,” Nimmo said. “He understands that failure is a part of this game, but he doesn’t let that dictate [his approach]. You know how he’s going to plan for the game and how he’s going to attack it. He goes and he gives it his best shot every single time. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but you’re really seeing him play without any fear.”

Vientos isn’t scared because this is what he expects of himself. It’s what he expected when the Mets signed J.D. Martinez, forcing him to start the season in Triple-A. It was what he expected when they called him up for a few days when Starling Marte had a family emergency and he hit a walk-off bomb in the big leagues, only to be sent back to the minors shortly thereafter.

It was what he expected last season when the Mets stapled him to the bench and used him only sparingly until trading off all of the veterans at the deadline.

It was almost as if Vientos thought all along that it was the Mets losing out on his skill.

After the Mets won their wild-card series against the Milwaukee Brewers last week, Vientos, finally feeling validated and valued, was nearly in tears.

“That’s why I’m so emotional because, yes, I did imagine my season to go like this,” he told the New York Daily News. “And honestly, this is only the beginning. We’ve got to keep going. I’m excited for the future and I’m excited for what we’re going to do.”

After the Mets finally called him up for good in mid-May, he hit 26 more home runs and led the Mets in slugging (.516). There is still work to be done at third base, and lingering questions about who will man first base for the Mets next year, he took a huge leap this year defensively. It was a bigger leap than the Mets expected him to take. Vientos now anticipates certain plays instead of reacting when balls are hit toward him. His footwork improved and he made more accurate throws.

It’s led to more confidence and calmness, which certainly helps in loud, hostile playoff atmospheres and in games where every single pitch matters.

“I’m trying to stay present in the present moment,” he said. “When I’m playing defense, I’m focused on the batter, when I’m hitting, I’m focused on the pitcher, and when I’m baserunning, I’m focused on the pitcher. I’m just focused on what I’m doing in that present moment.”

If ever there was a moment to break out, it’s now, in October when it matters the most.

“He’s really blossoming into a heck of a player,” Nimmo said. “He’s a force with his power and someone that you always have to worry about.”

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