Twenty-three games into this season, the New York Mets are 7-16. They've lost 12 in a row, and currently own the worst record in baseball. Only the Philadelphia Phillies, at 8-15, are slightly better.
How bad are the Mets? During this losing streak, they are a minus 46 in run differential, the worst in the majors; they are last in team ERA (5.64); last in team batting average (.194) last in batting average with runners in scoring position (.161); last in runs scored (22); and tied for second fewest home runs (8). They've been shutout three times and held to two runs or fewer nine times. They aren't just bad, they're historically bad, and if they lose tonight, they will be tied for the third longest losing streak in franchise history with the 1962 team that lost 120 games.
Let's take a look at the last 12 games. First the hitters:
Francisco Lindor: 2 HRs / 4 RBIs / .245 BA / .260 OBP / .648 OPS
Marcus Semien: 0 HRs / 2 RBIs / .220 BA / .273 OBP / .517 OPS
Bo Bichette: 1 HRs / 3 RBIs / .239 BA / .286 OBP / .612 OPS
Mark Vientos: 1 HRs / 2 RBIs / .094 BA / .118 OBP / .305 OPS
Brett Baty: 0 HRs / 2 RBIs / .161 BA / .182 OBP / .375 OPS
Luis Robert Jr: 1 HR / 1 RBI / .190 BA / .227 OBP / .537 OPS
Francisco Alvarez: 1 HR / 2 RBIs / .212 BA / .333 OBP / .636 OPS
Carson Benge: 0 HRs / 0 RBIs / .182 BA / .229 OBP / .441 OPS
Tyrone Taylor: 0 HRs / 2 RBIs / .235 BA / .278 OBP / .572 OPS
Now the pitchers:
Sean Manaea: 11.0 IP / 0-0 / 5.73 ERA
David Peterson: 13.2 IP / 0-2 / 5.93 ERA
Luis Garcia: 1.1 IP / 0-0 / 20.25 ERA
Luke Weaver: 3.2 IP / 0-0 / 14.73 ERA
Richard Lovelady: 2.1 IP / 0-0 / 0.00 ERA
Nolan McLean: 20.0 IP / 0-1 / 2.70 ERA
Clay Holmes: 10.1 IP / 0-2 / 2.61 ERA
Tobias Myers: 7.0 IP / 0-0 / 5.14 ERA
Huascar Brazoban: 5.0 IP / 0-0 / 0.00 ERA
Brooks Raley: 3.1 IP / 0-1 / 5.40 ERA
Koadai Senga: 5.2 IP / 0-2 / 20.65 ERA
Devin Williams: 1.1 IP / 0-1 / 47.25 ERA
The numbers speak for themselves. This isn't just a bad team, it's an historically bad team, and its principal architect, David Stearns, bears the brunt of the responsibility. He said after last season that run prevention would be his number one goal over the winter. Based on the results, this pitching staff is significantly worse than last year's. The worst offenders, by far, have been Weaver and Williams. The two were brought in by Stearns to give the Mets a formidable one-two punch at the back end of the bullpen. Instead, they've both been horrific during this losing streak.
As for run production, there isn't one hitter over the last 12 games that has distinguished himself. Lindor is having the worst year of his career; Bichette is batting 53 points below his career average; Semien is confirming what everyone suspected when he was acquired for Brandon Nimmo: that his best years are behind him; Baty looks completely overmatched at the plate; and let's face it, Benge belongs in Syracuse.
Meanwhile, the three players Stearns traded away or let walk, are all doing better than the players who replaced them:
Pete Alonso: 3 HRs / 10 RBIs / .213 BA / .327 OBP / .700 OPS
Jeff McNeil: 1 HR / 5 RBIs / .278 BA / .361 OBP / .750 OPS
Brandon Nimmo: 4 HRs / 11 RBIs / .295 BA / .368 OBP / .863 OPS
This is Stearns third season as President of Baseball Operations for the Mets. In that time, he has turned over almost one half of the roster, including some players who were very popular in the locker room as well as with the fanbase. It would be one thing if he had slashed payroll, as I thought he was going to do after last season. But the payroll has ostensibly stayed the same going into the 2026 season. This is mostly on him.
I say mostly because Carlos Mendoza is hardly guiltless. He's mismanaged the pithing staff and he's been way too patient with his players. There was simply no excuse for not benching Lindor, who literally went 17 games without a single RBI, made several mistakes in the infield and got picked off first base. I wrote in my season preview that if the Mets got off to a slow start he might not make it to the All-Star Break. The way this team is playing, he might not make it to May.
Chemistry isn't a word normally associated with baseball, but this team looks about as comfortable playing together as a crowded elevator in Manhattan. Something's gotta give or this season will be over before we get to summer, if it isn't already. The return of Juan Soto will provide a badly needed spark, but he can't do it all by himself. The other players need to pull their weight.
I can't believe Steve Cohen is going to let this nightmare continue much longer. He may be patient to a fault, but even he has his breaking point. He's the owner of team with a $381 million payroll. This can't be sitting well with him.
Bottom line, there is simply no excuse for the level of play we've seen from this team. It's unbecoming of professionals making the kind of money they're making. It's time to shit or get off the pot.
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