I Was Wrong - Now The Mets Have Hit Rock Bottom
New York is mired in an all-time slump and faces a real defining period with a tough stretch coming up...
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Can things get any worse for the slumping New York Mets right now?
Given just how bad things have been over the last few weeks, you would think not. But then again, there is a clear path for things to completely fall off the cliff unless this team gets its act together.
And fast.
After all, the Mets have very quickly gone from being one of the best teams in baseball to becoming the worst team in the sport since June 13th. They finished last month 3-13, with the downward spiral showing no signs of slowing down. Perhaps the biggest red flag to emerge from that skid was the fact that New York was non-competitive against some really bad teams. They dropped five of seven to the Braves, before being swept by the Pirates. Yes, the freaking Pirates. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Mets were outscored 30-4 by Pittsburgh - a team that has struggled to score runs all year and was on pace to lose 100 games.
That’s just how ugly things are in Queens right now.
Granted, you can make the argument that the bigger picture isn’t all that bleak given that this team is only two games back of the Phillies for the NL East lead. They also still hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League. With lots of baseball still to be played, you could be forgiven for not wanting to totally meltdown over this current stretch. Losing streaks will happen during the course of a 162-game schedule.
However, it is the way the Mets are losing games that should spark the most concern.
They are seemingly finding new ways to throw games away every single day. And there isn’t just one fatal flaw to blame for that. There are several. That’s the main issue here.
This team is sinking fast, and there are way too many problems to fix all at once.
The starting pitching has imploded. The bullpen is gassed, taxed, and cracking under all the pressure. And the offense - which was supposed to be the undisputed strength of this team - has been maddeningly inconsistent and can’t come up with the big hit in clutch situations.
Think about it - this so-called explosive lineup managed just four runs in three games against the lowly Pirates. Furthermore, the majority of the at-bats outside of Juan Soto looked terrible. The bulk of that lineup has shown zero plate discipline over this nightmare 16-game stretch. Too many hitters have been wildly swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone, focusing too much on trying to hit the home run rather than get on base and manufacture runs.
Heck, if it weren’t for Soto’s red-hot June - he hit .322/.474/.722/.1.196 with 29 hits, 25 runs scored, three doubles, 11 home runs, 20 RBIs, two stolen bases, and 25 walks last month - the Mets may be in even more trouble than they already are. But Soto isn’t completely blame-free here. The superstar hitter is still hitting .147 with runners in scoring position. That just sums up the lineup’s inability to cash in with runners on. As a team, the Mets are hitting just .217 with RISP. Only the White Sox have a worse average.
You aren’t going to go deep in October if the offense can’t come up with the clutch hit with traffic on the bases. You also aren’t going to do anything special if the majority of the lineup are producing lifeless at-bats day in and day out. And consistency, or a lack thereof, has also been a huge bugaboo for this team. Pete Alonso has just one home run in his last 10 games. Francisco Lindor went 1-for-12 against Pittsburgh, and is hitting just .163/.192/.327/.519 over his last 12 games. Mark Vientos returned to the lineup over the weekend but finished just 1-for-13. And the bottom of the lineup has struggled to produce really anything all season long.
As bad as the offense has been at times, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The starting rotation, which surpassed all expectations and was so damn good for the opening few months of the year, has fallen off a cliff. Beaten and broken, the starting pitching has taken a complete nosedive. Heading into Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Brewers, the Mets have now gone 12 straight games without a starter recording an out in the sixth inning.
As a result, the bullpen has had to take on more of the workload and is now feeling the strain. Late inning implosions have become the norm, and it is hardly surprising this team has suffered eight defeats of five runs or more in the 3-13 stretch. It is also little wonder that the likes of Huascar Brazobán - who has allowed 11 earned runs in his last five outings - has struggled so much recently. All of the relievers are gassed, and the current situation just isn’t sustainable.
But, as of right now, I’m not sure where the help is going to come from. Frankie Montas returned to the rotation and enjoyed a promising debut, but then gave up six runs in just four innings in his second start. I wasn’t sold on Montas when he was signed in the offseason, and I still don’t think he’s a viable long-term option for this team. Sean Manaea is throwing again after dealing with loose bodies in his left elbow, but he’s been unable to stay healthy this year, so who knows what he will be able to offer when he does return. Kodai Senga was pitching at a Cy Young level before going down hurt with a hamstring injury, but there is no guarantee he will be able to get back to that level. Tylor Megill (elbow) is still a ways away from returning, and Griffin Canning (Achilles) is done for the year.
Ouch.
So, where do the Mets go from here?
Well, they need to be aggressive at the Trade Deadline, but there will only be so much they can accomplish. When you consider that this team needs another front-of-the-rotation starter, a top left-handed reliever, another bat, and, potentially, options at third base and at catcher, you begin to gain an understanding of how deep their troubles run. They won’t be able to address every single need at the Deadline. Plus, arguably the biggest pitching prize available this year, Sandy Alcantara, is currently pitching to a 6.98 ERA with a 4-8 record. So, options could be limited anyway.
Being ultra-realistic, the Mets need their stars and biggest hitters to play to the back of their baseball cards, especially with RISP. They need Mark Vientos to be the player he was in 2024. They need Francisco Alvarez to return from the minors and rake like he did in his rookie year in 2023. They need Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga to pitch at the levels they are capable of. And they need more length from their starters in order to ease the strain on the bullpen.
In other words, the Mets need this current group to live up to its potential and start playing like the contender we all thought they were.
Now, in potentially a saving grace, the Mets have had two days off to think about things after Tuesday’s series opener against the Brewers was rained out. Therefore, this team has now had ample time to go back to the drawing board, figure out what has gone so wrong, and hit the reset button. The extra off day would have acted as an absolute godsend for the bullpen, too.
And a fresh, hungry team eager to punch back after taking so many blows will be crucial this week. With three games in two days against a red-hot Milwaukee team - who are just 1.5 games behind New York, by the way - followed by the Subway Series with the Yankees, the Mets now face arguably the biggest and most defining week of the entire 2025 season.
Either they turn up, show a pulse, and respond this week and prove that the 3-13 stretch is now behind them and they are ready to play like true contenders again. Or, the struggles continue, and we start to have a real conversation about this team even being good enough just to make the playoffs, let alone anything else.
When all is said and done, this week could end up telling us who the 2025 New York Mets really are.
I’m realll tired of seeing new rock bottoms getting hit every night. This has to change!