Worst Team $381 Million Can Buy

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.

We Need To Talk About Lindor

Through 17 games, Francisco Lindor's slash line is .176 / .291 / .250.  He has no home runs and no runs batted in. That was not a misprint, folks. The man who almost became the captain of the New York Mets has been hit by a pitch (1) more times than he's driven in a run (0). I've heard of slow starts, but there were glaciers during the last ice age that moved faster than Lindor has begun the season.

But as bad as his hitting has been, his fielding and base running have been equally atrocious. He was picked off first base while adjusting his glove, forgot how many outs there were on a ground ball that should've been a double play, failed to cover second base on what also should've been a double play, and was tagged out trying to get back to third on an ill-advised scoring attempt. And to think we're only half way through April.

If these were the actions of a rookie, you could almost chalk them up to inexperience or nervousness. But Lindor has been in the majors twelve seasons. He has no excuse for this level of play. What's even more frustrating is the indifference he exhibits in his postgame interviews. Tone deaf doesn't begin to describe it.

When David Stearns assembled this roster over the winter, there were many questions I had about it, most of them sadly coming to the forefront. But the one constant I thought we could all agree on, the one "put in the books" player the Mets had was Lindor at shortstop. His two-run, 9th inning homer against the Braves in game 161 of the 2024 season got New York into the postseason, and his grand slam against the Phillies in the 8th inning of the NLDS, got them to their first NLCS in nine years. When the team won 101 games in 2022, Lindor had his best season as a pro, batting .270 with 26 HRs and 107 RBIs.

This is no scrub, or rookie, or bench player we're talking about here. This is an elite ball player in the prime of his career who is off to a hellish start, and whose nonchalant attitude over his performance is entirely inappropriate given his team's place in the standings, which at the moment is dead last in the National League East. 

I know it's still early, and I also know that no team wins a pennant in April. But the way this team is playing - particularly Lindor - the season may be over by Memorial Day, if not sooner. Something's gotta change. And that something has to be the lineup. Carlos Mendoza came under fire last season for the way he handled his pitching staff. But he's also been way too lenient with his players in general. Why on Earth Lindor hasn't been benched is beyond me. The example this is setting for everyone in that dugout is that it's ok to play like this. And that is unacceptable for a team that went into the season with playoff aspirations. Jesus, even players managers would know when to draw the line.

If Mendoza won't hold Lindor accountable, how the hell is he going to hold the other 23 players on his roster accountable? How does he justify sitting Carson Benge, who at least has 1 HR and 3 RBIs? Players aren't stupid; greedy, yes, but stupid, no. They can tell when a player is being given special treatment. It would be one thing if Lindor just had a couple of bad games; benching him would be an overreaction. But this isn't just a couple of bad games we're talking about; this is a trend that if not nipped in the bud threatens to derail the entire season. For the good of the team Mendoza must bench Lindor.

It doesn't have to be for long; one game should be enough to send a message. And that message is it doesn't matter who you or how much money you make. Every one is held to the same standards. You perform, you play; you don't, you sit. Period.

Lindor undoubtedly won't like it. Tough. It's not about him anymore; it's about a team that is seriously underachieving at every aspect of the game: hitting, pitching and fielding.

Enough with the excuses; enough with shrugging off unacceptably bad performances. It's time for some tough love.

Harry Truman used to have a sign on his desk that read, "The Buck Stops Here." Maybe Mendoza should get one for his desk.

2026 Mets Preview

Boy, David Stearns had himself a very busy offseason, didn't he? The Mets President and GM ostensibly turned over almost half of the roster from last year. Gone are Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte, Ryan Stank, Ryan Helsey, Tyler Rogers, Cedric Mullins and Frankie Montas. Replacing them are Devin Williams, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr, Luke Weaver, Freddy Peralta, Richard Lovelady, Tobias Myers and Carson Benge. 

If you were vacationing the last four and a half months in a place that didn't have internet access - the moon, for instance - you're in for one helluva shock when you get your yearbook.

That 2025 was a huge disappointment would be putting it mildly. After signing Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15 year, $765 million contract, the Amazins were expected to not only make the postseason, but go all the way to the World Series. Instead, they endured a historic four-month implosion that began in mid-June. Clearly, some changes had to be made. The only question is will those changes be enough to wash the taste of last year out of the organization's mouth.

Frankly, I have my doubts. Don't get me wrong, the additions of Bichette, Polanco, Semien and Robert Jr will bring balance to a batting order that was top heavy last season. And for the first time in four years, the Mets finally have an ace in their starting rotation in Peralta. I'm also very high on Nolan McLean and think he has the potential to be an elite pitcher in the majors. 

But when I look objectively at this roster, there are some red flags. For one, defense. Robert Jr will be fine in center, as will Semien at second. But Bichette is a natural shortstop who's never played third, and if you thought Alonso was an adventure at first, Polanco has played exactly one inning - actually one pitch - at the position his entire professional career. For a GM who stressed run prevention at the conclusion of last season, you'd have to admit, that's a pretty odd way of addressing it.

Then there's the bullpen, which was the primary culprit in last season's implosion. Losing Diaz - the best closer the franchise has had since Billy Wagner - to the Dodgers for what amounted to $3 million over three years is THE definition of malpractice. Hoping Williams regains the form he had with the Brewers is the biggest gamble since Custer said, "One more for the road, boys."

The starting rotation is also problematic. After Peralta and Clay Holmes, the drop-off is immense. As I said above, I think McLean is legit, but what if he isn't? What if he needs another year at Syracuse? And then there's Kodai Senga. Can he rebound from a disastrous 2025, or is this it for him? As for David Peterson and Sean Manaea, who knows what to expect from them. You'd have to be an incurable optimist to think this rotation can carry a team all the way to a World Series. 

And then there's the manager. While Carlos Mendoza wasn't the architect of last season's train wreck, he has to shoulder some of the blame, most notably how he handled the pitching staff. Should this team get off to a poor start, like it did in 2024, it's hard to see him surviving to the All-Star Break. Fair or not, the expectations for this franchise are still high. A second consecutive season missing the playoffs will not be tolerated by Steve Cohen. 

Now for my predictions. Last year, the Mets finished 83-79; the year before that, they went 89-73. Mike Puma of The New York Post has them going 95-67 this season and winning the National League East. I'm a bit less bullish. I have them going 88-74. While that won't be enough to win the NL East, it should be enough to clinch a Wild Card spot. And if Senga and Williams regain their previous form, they could challenge the Phillies for the division. However, that's a big if.

Here's how I see each division breaking down:

NL East:

Phillies

Braves

Mets

Marlins

Nationals

NL Central:

Brewers

Cubs

Cardinals

Reds

Pirates

NL West:

Dodgers

Padres

Giants

Diamondbacks

Rockies

AL East:

Blue Jays

Yankees

Red Sox

Orioles

Rays

AL Central:

Tigers

Guardians

Twins

Royals

White Sox

AL West:

Mariners

Rangers

Astros

Angels

A's

NL Wild Cards: Braves, Mets, Cubs

AL Wild Cards: Yankees, Red Sox, Guardians

World Series: Blue Jays over Phillies 4-2

As with all my predictions, take them with a grain of salt. 

A very large grain of salt. 

Fait Accompli

In 2007, 2008 and 2025, the New York Mets went into the last game of the regular season needing a win to qualify for the playoffs; they lost all three times. And the team that eliminated them each year was the Florida Marlins. The baseball gods have a wicked sense of humor, don't they? 

But unlike those '07 and '08 teams, who collapsed late in the season, this year's collapse began much earlier; June 13 to be precise. Two prolonged slumps (3-14 and 2-14) did the lion's share of the damage. Despite a 45-24 start, the Mets were never able to completely regain their footing. In a year where 84 wins would've been enough to snag the third Wild Card spot in the National League, the Mets won 83. I guess $340 million doesn't go as far as it used to.

To say this team fell far short of expectations would be putting it mildly. A roster that was assembled to win the World Series didn't even make it to the first round of the postseason. This will be a very long offseason in Flushing.

But before we get to the postmortems, in the spirit of Dave Letterman, I thought I'd compile a Top Ten list of games the Mets lost this season, any one of which, had they won, would've been enough to get them into the playoffs.

June 13: 7-5 vs. Tampa Bay Rays. New York had just completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals at CitiField. They were 45-24, five and a half games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East, and had a 5-1 lead over the Rays through five when Carlos Mendoza decided to pull Clay Holmes after throwing only 79 pitches. The Rays scored six runs in the top of the 6th against Paul Blackburn and Max Kranick.

June 29: 12-1 at Pittsburgh Pirates. After gaining a spilt in their four-game series against the Atlanta Braves at home, the Amazins hit the road and got swept by the Pirates. Not one of the three games was competitive. Frankie Montas allowed six runs over four innings in this one.

July 10: 3-1 at Baltimore Orioles. David Peterson was pitching a gem at Camden Yards. Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the 8th, the Orioles got a lead-off hit. It was only the fifth hit allowed by Peterson in the game, but Mendoza pulled him anyway. The next batter, Gunnar Henderson, hit a pinch-hit two-run homer off Ryne Stanek to give the O's the lead for good.

July 28: 7-6 at San Diego Padres. After enduring their worst slump of the season, the Mets appeared to have righted the ship. They won eight in a row and had just completed a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants when they began a three-game series against the Padres. Up 5-1 in the bottom of the 5th, San Diego scored five runs against Frankie Montas and Huascar Brazoban to take the lead. The Mets would lose the game in the bottom of the 9th.

August 28: 7-4 vs. Miami Marlins. The Mets had just completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies at home to pull to within four games of first place. Once more, it looked like they had righted the ship. But three errors by New York led to five unearned runs for the Fish.

September 7: 3-2 at Cincinnati Reds. The Mets had taken two of three against the Detroit Tigers and were looking to take the rubber game against the Reds. This was a critical loss because it gave Cincy the tie-breaker against New York.

September 8: 1-0 at Philadelphia Phillies. After getting swept in New York, the Phillies looked to exact revenge on their division rivals. The Mets stranded the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with one out in the top of the 9th. They would finish the season 0-70 when trailing after 8.

September 11: 6-4 at Phillies. The Phillies complete a four-game sweep against the Mets who blew a four-run, first-inning lead. The loss was New York's sixth in a row.

September 26: 6-2 at Marlins. After taking two of three against the Cubs in Chicago, the Mets had a one-game lead against the Reds when they went to Miami for a season-ending, three-game series. They were in control of their own destiny. All they had to do was win out and they were in the playoffs. Instead they laid an egg.

September 28: 4-0 at Marlins. Once more, New York was presented with a chance to salvage their season; once more, they looked a gift horse in the mouth. While the Milwaukee Brewers were beating the Reds 4-2, the Mets went out with a whimper.

So what happened? How did the best team money could buy implode before our very eyes? Well for starters, despite all the hoopla that preceded the season, the fact is this was a very flawed roster. There are three components to baseball: pitching, hitting and fielding. Turns out, the Mets weren't good enough in any of them.

Pitching: Even before their first slump in June, alarm bells were going off. The starters were having a hard time going more than five innings. For the season, the Mets had 38 quality starts; the Phillies, by comparison, had 84. This failure to go deep in games put an unnecessary strain on a bullpen that wasn't exactly deep go begin with. Something had to give, and give it did. From April 13 on, the team ERA was 4.95, fourth worst in the majors. That they went 38-55 during that stretch should surprised no one.

Hitting: The addition of Juan Soto was supposed to transform the Mets into an offensive juggernaut. Instead, they scored two less runs this season than they did last season. But even with all that, this was a very top-heavy lineup that was inconsistent much of the year, and until August struggled to drive in runners in scoring position. One game, they'd score 12 runs, the next, they'd be lucky to score one. Case in point, game 162. With their season on the line, they were shutout after scoring five runs the previous game.

Fielding: Let's cut to the chase: this was a sloppy team in the field. Ground balls booted; line drives misplayed; cutoff men missed; throws off target. There were times this season when it looked like the Mets had nine Marv Throneberrys out there. Truth be told, with the exception of Francisco Lindor and Tyrone Taylor, there isn't one player in this lineup I would trust to make a defensive play with the game on the line. And that is a huge problem for a team with championship aspirations. 

So why was this roster so flawed? It comes down to money. Even an owner as wealthy as Steve Cohen has a budget. With the bulk of the payroll going to Soto, Lindor and Pete Alonso, David Stearns simply didn't have the resources to go after a top tier starter like Max Fried, who signed an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees last offseason. Fried went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA for the Bronx Bombers. So Stearns went shopping at the bargain basement store and settled for the likes of Montas ($17m x 2) and Sean Manaea ($25m x 3). Both pitchers were bitter disappointments and will still be on the books next year. 

Pitching wasn't the only position to bow to economic reality. Around the time the Mets were negotiating whether to bring back Alonso, Alex Bregman's name was floated as a possible replacement. The third baseman won a gold glove playing for the Houston Astros in 2024 and would've been a considerable improvement over Mark Vientos at the corner. But Stearns only had enough money to sign one, not both players. Once Pete re-up'd, that was it for Bregman.

Instead of acquiring a legit centerfielder, Stearns opted for a tandem of Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri. Taylor was a vacuum cleaner in center, but barely hit his weight at the plate; while Siri was injured and missed most of the season. Things were so bad, Mendoza was forced to use Jeff McNeil, a second baseman, in place of a struggling Taylor. When your manager is playing his players out of position, that's usually a sign the front office didn't do a good enough job. 

And speaking of which, it needs to be reiterated that Stearns had a bad trade deadline. He needed to add starter; he didn't get one. He needed a centerfielder; he got Cedric Mullins. As a result, the starting rotation continued to struggle, while Mullins was no better than Taylor at the plate and worse in the field.

And last, but not least, we come to the manager. I've been pretty clear that I don't think Mendoza was the main culprit in this tragedy, but he was hardly blameless. Throughout his two-year tenure in the dugout, he has been guilty of over-managing this pitching staff, pulling starters too early, even when they weren't in trouble. Like he did when he pulled Manaea in the second inning of the season finale, even though he hadn't allowed a run.

Mendoza also failed to hold his players accountable when they screwed up. While a manager isn't responsible for strikeouts and bad pitches, he is responsible for setting the tone for his club. There was never any sense of urgency with this team; no willingness to look in the mirror and admit they were blowing it. Just the opposite, in fact. They seemed oblivious to the peril they were in. Losses that should've been wins were shrugged off with a chorus of "we'll get 'em tomorrow" excuses. Well on September 28, they ran out of tomorrows.

Obviously, changes will have to be made. Mendoza may be coming back, but some of his coaches won't Jeremy Hefner should be the first to be shown the door. It is inconceivable that this rotation could sail through the batting order twice, only to fall apart the third time around. That cannot be a coincidence. This malady even impacted the new pitchers who were brought up in September. Enough is enough. 

The next to go should be both hitting coaches; yes, you heard right, the Mets have two hitting coaches. Clearly Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez aren't getting through, because there's simply no excuse for a team with this much offensive talent to be this anemic with runners in scoring position.

Stearns has a lot on his plate this offseason. He needs to improve both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Both Edwin Diaz and Alonso can opt out of their contracts; Pete has already said he's doing so. Will the Mets re-sign both? If so, how much will it cost? Will they trade McNeil and / or Vientos? Will they bring back Starling Marte? If not, who will take his place? Is Brett Baty ready to take the reins at third base full time? Who will play centerfield? If Alonso returns, will it be as a DH or first baseman? If Pete doesn't want to be the DH, who will?

You wouldn't think an organization with a payroll of $340 million would have that many questions, but that's where we are. The Mets seem to have as many holes as they have talented ballplayers. 

One thing is certain: the roster that crashed and burned in 2025 will have changes to it come 2026.

Read It and Sweep

"I'm responsible. I'm the manager. It's my job to get these guys going and I will." 

- New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza

Immediately after the "unsinkable" Titanic sank, many people were quick to put the blame on Captain Edward J. Smith. He was the obvious choice. He had received no less than six ice warnings, yet decided not to reduce speed, change course, or post additional lookouts.

But over the course of the next few months, three inquiries - one in the United States and two in England - shed additional light on the disaster and spread the blame more equally around. The insufficient number of lifeboats to accommodate everyone on board and the decision not to include a double skin in the construction of the ship played a major factor in the huge loss of life that night. There was also a mystery ship ten miles away that, had it responded, could've arrived in time to pick up hundreds of passengers that later froze to death in the North Atlantic.

We still don't know how the 2025 Mets season will end. But as of right now, it's fair to say that this once invincible ship is taking on water and seriously listing. It's hard to believe it but on June 12, their record was 45-24. They were five and a half games up on the Philadelphia Phillies and looking to run away with the National League East. After getting swept by those same Phillies last night, the Mets record now stands at 76-71, and they are only one and a half games up on the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds for the last Wild Card spot. For the benefit of those who didn't bring their calculators with them, the Mets are 31-47 since June 13. Only the Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals have a worse record over that span. 

While I admire Mendoza's courage and willingness to throw himself under the bus, by no means is he the main culprit in this disaster. The chief architect of this shit show that currently resides at CitiField is none other than G.M. David Stearns. It was his decision not to re-sign Jose Quintana and instead sign Frankie Montas. Quintana wound up signing with the Milwaukee Brewers - the first place Milwaukee Brewers - for $4 million and is currently 11-6 with a 3.88 ERA, while Montas is making $17 million and was 3-2 with a 6.28 ERA before going on the IR. He then, for some strange reason, convinced Clay Holmes that he could be a starter, despite the fact he hadn't made a start since 2018. Not unexpectedly, the former Yankees closer is running out of gas over the last few weeks.

At the trade deadline, Stearns opted for Cedric Mullins form the Baltimore Orioles instead of Harrison Bader from the Twins, believing that Bader, like he did in Queens last year, would not be a productive second half hitter. But Bader is batting .339 since being acquired by the Phillies, while Mullins is batting an anemic .174 for the Mets. Stearns also elected not to pursue a starter at the deadline, despite the fact that the starting rotation was crying out for someone who could go more than 5 innings. The strain on the beleaguered bullpen was bound to take its toll. Overall, the team ERA is an abysmal 4.02, 10th worst in the majors. On June 12th, it was a major-league best 2.80.

And speaking of the bullpen, while no one could've foreseen that Ryan Helsley would implode the way he has, it's worth noting that Stearns could've gotten Jhoan Duran from the Twins for a little bit more than what he paid for Helsley, and Duran would've been under team control for another two years, unlike Helsley, who's a free agent after this season. Imagine Bader in center and Duran setting up Edwin Diaz. How many more wins do you think this team would have right now with just those two players on the roster? Four, five, six? Even three more wins would mean a four and a half game lead on the Giants and Reds with a nine-game home stand starting tonight.

This is what happens when your owner spends $765 million on one player and your GM shops at the bargain basement store for a pitching staff. The sad fact is that the Mets are wasting a spectacular second half by Juan Soto, who since August 1, is first in the majors in OPS, on-base percentage and stole bases, second in home runs, and third in slugging percentage. Indeed, he's one home run and five runs batted in away from being only the fifth player in major league history to have at least 40 HRs, 100 RBIs and 30 SBs in a single season. The other four are Jose Conseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), and Shohei Ohtani (2024).

Imagine having a lineup with Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor AND still missing the playoffs. That is unacceptable, and yet that is the likely fate which awaits this team over the next couple of weeks unless something dramatic happens. And let's be honest: even if they were to clinch that last Wild Card, do you have any faith that this team can win two games in Philadelphia, where Phillies fans will be frothing at the mouth looking to exact revenge for last year? Me neither.

But before I make Stearns out to be a modern day J. Bruce Ismay - look it up - the players deserve some of the blame here. Including last night's fiasco, the Mets are now 0-63 when trailing after 8 innings. Last season, they had nine comeback wins in the 9th inning, 45 overall to lead the majors. You can have the greatest front office in the history of the sport but if your players don't perform up to ecxpectations you're not going anywhere. 

So there you have it: a season with high expectations, that got off to such a great start, has now spiraled into a tailspin that knows no end.

I hope you brought your lifejackets. That ocean's pretty nasty. 

Mets in a Free Fall

"Tough stretch, no sugarcoating it. I didn’t see this coming. I’m as frustrated as everybody else. We will get through this period. Our injured pitching will come back over the next few weeks. It is unlikely the team’s hitting with RISP will continue at this weak pace. Keep the faith!" -  Steven A. Cohen, owner of the New York Mets

With all due respect to Steve, this is not just a tough stretch. A tough stretch would be going 2-7. It's hard to fathom, but on June 12, the Mets were 45-24, twenty-one games over .500 and solidly in first place in the National League East. After yesterday's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, they're now 48-37, and the only reason they're a game and a half out of first is because the Philadelphia Phillies haven't exactly taken off.

The Mets are 3-13 in their last 16 games. In colloquial terms that's called a free fall. And the worst part about this "stretch" is that they haven't been remotely competitive in most of their losses. In the three-game sweep against the Pirates, New York was outscored 30-4, their most lopsided series loss in their 64 years as a franchise. Given how many bad teams this organization has fielded over its history, that is a damnable stat.

They're not hitting; they're not pitching; in short, nothing is going right. Ironically, the only player who's exceeding expectations is Juan Soto. For the month of June, the $765 million dollar man hit 11 home runs, drove in 20 and batted .322 with an OPS of 1.196. Conversely, Francisco Lindor - the leadoff hitter - had 4 homers, 10 RBIs and batted .204 with an OPS of just .628.

It's one thing to keep the faith; Mets fans are experts at that. It's quite another to look in the mirror and know the truth. Despite its top-level talent, this team has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese. The starting rotation has been ravaged by injuries. Kodai Senga, Sean Maneae, Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning have all spent time on the IR. Canning is lost for the year after rupturing his left Achilles against the Atlanta Braves last week. 

The bullpen, which had been the best in baseball for most of the season, since June 13 has sprung more leaks than the Titanic and Lusitania combined. Over the last 16 games, their combined ERA is 6.59. Apart from Edwin Diaz, there isn't a single reliever Carlos Mendoza can trust in a tight spot.

And contrary to what Cohen alluded to in his tweet, the RISP issue is not a recent thing. It's plagued this team all season long. The Mets are batting just .217 with runners in scoring position. Only the Chicago White Sox at .208 are worse. To put that in perspective, the Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers - the current division leaders in the National League - are batting .262, .281 and .298 respectively with runners in scoring position. 

The bottom half of the lineup is as close to an automatic out as there is in baseball. After coming back from a hamstring injury, Mark Vientos looks lost at the plate. In his last three games, he's gone 1-13, and that one hit was a dribbler up the third base line. Ronnie Mauricio, aside from smacking three dingers, clearly cannot handle major-league pitching; and Francisco Alvarez had gotten so bad, the Mets were forced to send him back down to Syracuse to help him get his swing back. All the faith in the world can't overcome this level of ineptitude.

The fact is the Mets, even with the second-highest payroll in baseball, lack the depth to be a good team. David Stearns has done a credible job of piecing together a pitching staff that until recently was the envy of every GM in the majors. And now it is coming unglued. Take away Lindor, Soto, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, and most of the remaining hitters would have a hard time cracking the Oakland A's lineup. Even in a sport as individualistic as baseball, you still need more than a handful of players to win a championship.

If this hemorrhaging doesn't come to an end soon, the Flushing Faithful may have to endure yet another year of bitter disappointment.

But then that's become a rite of passage, hasn't it?

Mendoza's Moment of Truth

The New York Mets were swept by the Atlanta Braves Thursday night. There's nothing unique about that statement. Three years ago, they went into Atlanta needing just one win to secure the tie-breaker for first place in the National League East. Instead they lost all three games. There's something about playing in this city that brings out the Marv Throneberry in the Amazins.

But the Mets did more than just get swept the Braves; they got swept by the Braves after getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays. 0-6 after a 16-4 stretch, which saw them build a five and a half game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. They are now tied for first with three games in Philadelphia. Don't be surprised if by Sunday night they're three games behind the Phillies. Remember when I said they'd be lucky to go 6-4 over this ten-game stretch? Well, 2-8 is looking more like a possibility.

Let's call it what it is: a slump, and a pretty bad one. In the six straight games the Mets have lost, four have not been remotely close. But the two that were close, were given away by the manager, who has chosen a particularly bad time of the year to make some rather bizarre decisions. 

Game one against the Rays: The Mets were ahead 5-1 going into the top of the sixth. Carlos Mendoza decided to pull Clay Holmes after throwing only 79 pitches, even though he was sailing along. The explanation was that the Mets were concerned about stretching Holmes too much given that this was his first year as a starter. Fair enough; you want him fresh for the stretch drive and playoffs. Totally understandable. Then why did Mendoza let him throw 104 pitches against the Braves five days later when it was painfully obvious he was struggling? What happened to managing his pitch count?

Game one against the Braves: The Mets were ahead 4-1 going into the bottom of the eight. David Peterson, fresh off a complete-game shutout against the Washington Nationals, was in complete command. Mendoza decided to leave him in, but for some reason didn't have anyone warming up in the bullpen just in case he got into trouble, which is what happened. Peterson walked the first batter he faced, at which point Reed Garrett started throwing in the bullpen. The next batter singled. The Braves had runners on first and second with no one out. Mendoza then went to Garrett who clearly was not yet ready to pitch. Atlanta ended up tying the game in that inning.

Same game against the Braves: Bottom of the 10th, tied score, free runner on second. Acuna is intentionally walked. On a wild pitch, for some reason Francisco Alvarez decided to throw behind the runner, thus allowing the eventual winning run to move to third base where he scored on a sacrifice fly. After the game, Mendoza, rather than just admit his catcher made a mistake, attempted to rationalize it. That is a no-no. A manager who cannot hold his players accountable is doing them a disservice. You don't have to throw your player under the bus to acknowledge what everyone who watched the game saw.

Look, last year Mendoza did a remarkable job not overreacting when the Mets got off to a horrific start. Indeed, you could say his calm demeanor gave the team the space it needed to turn the season around. And to be honest, no one ever accused him of being Joe McCarthy.

But Mendoza exhibits all the tell-tell signs of a manager who can't quite come to terms with the fact that he is no longer a coach but the field boss. Case in point, how he's handled the bullpen. Even last season when everything seemed to be going the Mets way, Mendoza would leave his starters in a little too long or pull them a little too soon. And his choice of reliever would sometimes be a head scratcher, like bringing in Adam Ottavino with a runner on first base. If you've ever watched Ottavino attempt to hold a runner on first, it's like watching a Three Stooges short if all three stooges were named Shemp. In the aforementioned game against the Rays, Mendoza, rather than bring in one of his best set-up men, opted for Paul Blackburn.

Okay, it's a long season, I get it. Managers, like players, have their share of bad games. But these are not isolated incidents; there's clearly a pattern here, or a lack thereof. Mendoza is not a bad manager, but his inconsistencies have been glaring. Alarm bells should be going off in the Mets front office. I don't care how long the season is, you can't give away games, especially in a division with two perennial 90 plus win teams like the Phillies and Braves. The Mets were very lucky to squeak into the postseason last year; there's no guarantee that, even with the addition of Juan Soto, they will make it back this year.

By no means is Carlos Mendoza the main culprit here. The Mets bats have gone cold and their pitching has gone south. No manager can overcome that kind of a slump. But he does have an obligation to put his team in the best possible position to win. To paraphrase an old saying, even if you can't get the horse to drink, you still have to lead him to the water.

As I wrote in my last piece, David Stearns will have to address the holes in this roster. But while he's doing that, it would behoove him to give his manager a pep talk before it gets too late.

Mets Get a Wakeup Call

Going into their series against the Tampa Bay Rays at CitiField, the New York Mets were 16-4 in their last 20 games. They boasted the best team ERA and the second-best runs scored and against differential in Major League Baseball. With an overall record of 45-24, they were solidly in first place in the National League East, five and a half games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. It looked like they were ready to put the pedal to the metal.

And when they jumped out to a 5-1 lead over the Rays in game one, it certainly appeared as if they were doing that. The Mets scored two runs in the bottom of the 4th and three more in the bottom of the 5th to erase an early 1-0 Tampa Bay lead. Clay Holmes was in complete command, allowing one run and three hits through five. But Carlos Mendoza decided to pull him after just 79 pitches.

That's when the roof fell in on the Mets. The Rays lit up Paul Blackburn and Max Kranick like a Christmas tree in the top of the 6th, scoring six runs, two courtesy of a two-run homer from Danny Jansen, who entered the game with a .194 batting average. The Mets lost the game 7-5.

It didn't get any better for the Amazins the next two games. They lost 8-4 and 9-0 respectively; the latter coming on Father's Day with 42,804 disappointed fans in attendance. Imagine having that many people in your stadium and getting embarrassed like that. It was the first time this season that the Mets had been swept in a three-game series.

Perhaps this was just an anomaly; a couple of stinkers in an otherwise long schedule. After all, the Mets were due for a let down sooner or later. And it's not like the Rays are a bottom feeder; in fact, they're a pretty good team. Over their last twenty games, they were averaging five and a half runs per game. To put that in perspective, the Mets are averaging 4.55 runs per game for the season.

Or perhaps it was a wakeup call. For much of 2025, the Mets have relied on their pitching to carry them. And until this series, that formula was working. But the Rays exposed a flaw in that formula. They beat up on a bullpen that is starting to show signs of wear and tear not even half-way through the season. They also did a number on Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning, both of whom appear to be reverting to form.

After an impressive April in which he posted a 1.73 earned run average, Megill's ERA in May and June ballooned to 5.96 and 5.52 respectively. Over his five years as a big-league pitcher - all with the Mets - Megill is 26-26 with a 4.46 ERA. This is who he is, folks.

Coming into this season, Canning had a career ERA of 4.78 with the Los Angeles Angels. Take away the start he had against the Dodgers in LA earlier this month, and Canning has allowed 16 earned runs over his last 15 innings pitched. We have a word for that: it's called atrocious.

With Kodai Senga sustaining a hamstring injury in his last start, and Sean Manaea still out with an oblique injury, the starting rotation is going to be under duress for the foreseeable future. And aside from Edwin Diaz, Reed Garrett and Huascar Brazobán, the bullpen has been a huge question mark of late. A pitching staff that had been rock solid for most of the season now looks very vulnerable.

And the concerns don't end with the pitching. While Juan Soto has finally awoken from his early-season slumber, there are gaping holes in this lineup. Francisco Alvarez continues to struggle offensively. In 32 games, he's hitting .241 with only two home runs and 10 RBIs. His platoon mate Luis Torrens isn't any better. His slash line is .231 / 1 / 13. Ronny Mauricio, who was brought up from Syracuse when Mark Vientos went down with a hamstring injury last month, looks lost at the plate. Aside from a few games here and there, there's been virtually no production from the DH spot. And while Tyron Taylor is a human vacuum cleaner in center field, he's practically an automatic out at the plate. Put succinctly, the bottom four of the batting order isn't pulling its weight. Overall, the Mets are hitting just .218 with runners in scoring position this season; third lowest in the majors.

Put it all together and it spells trouble for a Mets team that had designs on going all the way this season. David Stearns has done an incredible job assembling this roster, but it's clear there's more work that needs to be done. The GM needs to add at least one more bat to this lineup and a couple of arms to this beleaguered bullpen. Mendoza can't keep playing Russian Roulette with his relievers hoping they don't implode the way Blackburn and Kranick did against the Rays.

Over the next ten days, the Amazins play the Atlanta Braves seven times and the Phillies thrice. After a rough stretch, Philly has won five in a row. As for Atlanta, while their record is a disappointing 31-39, they always play the Mets tough. The Flushing Faithful will never forget how the Braves came from seven games behind in August to win the division in 2022. Anybody who thinks this is a walk in the park doesn't know what they're talking about. If the Mets go 6-4, they'll be lucky.

The trading deadline is July 31. Plenty of time for Stearns to work his magic. 

Mets 2025 Season Preview

Let's face it: the moment the New York Mets signed Juan Soto to that $765 million contract, expectations for the 2025 season began to soar. With the re-signing of Pete Alonso, those expectations have now passed the stratosphere. Next stop, thermosphere. 

With Francisco Lindor leading off, the Amazins' have arguably the best batting order in franchise history. I say arguably because the 2006-08 Mets had Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright batting 3-5. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Regardless of which order you prefer, there's no denying that this team is better and deeper than the one that was two wins away from its first World Series appearance since 2015. 

Don't take my word for it. Just check it out for yourselves:

1. Francisco Lindor - SS
2. Juan Soto - RF
3. Pete Alonso - 1B
4. Mark Vientos - 3B
5. Brandon Nimmo - RF
6. Starling Marte - DH
7. Jeff McNeil - 2B
8. Franciso Alvares - C
9. Jose Siri - CF

Objectively speaking, only the Los Angeles Dodgers boast a better 1-9.

If there's one concern about this Mets team, it's the starting rotation. Both Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea will start the season on the disabled list and are not expected back until mid-May. That means that the bulk of the load will fall onto the shoulders of converted reliever Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, David Peterson and Kodai Senga. Holmes had an outstanding spring training, boasting a 0.93 ERA, but Megill and Peterson are ostensibly .500 pitchers, while Senga is coming back from an injury that kept him out most of last season. In other words, Carlos Mendoza will have his work cut out for him managing this staff. 

The bullpen should be just fine with closer Edwin Diaz leading the way. And Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, Jesse Winker, Tyrone Taylor and Luis Torrens provide plenty of depth in the lineup. No one can say that Steve Cohen and David Stearns haven't done a great job here.

But while this may be the most talented Mets team in almost twenty years, they are hardly a lock to win their division. That's because while the Dodgers may own the NL West, the NL East is the deepest division in Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves are perfectly capable of emerging on top come October. That's why it's essential that this team get off to a good start. They can't afford a repeat of 2024 when they began the season 24-35.

That's why I have the Mets as the prohibitive favorites to win the NL East. Assuming that Soto and Lindor stay healthy and Diaz is lights out, I don't think there's a team east of the Rockies that can touch them.

And now for my predictions for each division, plus which teams will make the league championship and World Series.

National League East:

Mets
Phillies (WC)
Braves (WC)
Marlins
Nationals

National League Central:

Brewers
Cardinals
Cubs
Pirates
Reds

National League West:

Dodgers
Padres (WC)
Diamondbacks
Giants
Rockies

American League East:

Red Sox
Yankees (WC)
Blue Jays (WC)
Rays
Orioles

American League Central:

Guardians
Tigers
Royals
Twins
White Sox

American League West:

Mariners
Rangers (WC)
Astros
Angels
A's

WC = Wild Card

NLCS:

Mets over Dodgers 4-3

ALCS:

Red Sox over Mariners 4-2

World Series:

Mets over Red Sox 4-2

As with all my predictions, you should take them with a rather large grain of salt.

Cohen Bags Soto

That vibration you felt last night was George Steinbrenner not only turning over in his grave but punching the sides of the casket with both fists. In what can only be described as the greatest coup in the 63 year history of the franchise, the New York Mets not only landed the biggest prize in free agency, they literally stole him from their cross-town rival Yankees.

Juan Soto is a Met. The 26 year-old right fielder signed for an unprecedented $765 million over 15 years. The contract includes a $75 million signing bonus and an opt out after five years should Soto decide to leave Flushing. To put this in perspective, Tom Brady and LeBron James combined earned $761 million over their collective careers which spanned 45 years.

But the most amazing thing - no pun intended - about this was that the Mets offer was only $5 million more than the Yankees. The Yankees offered $760 million over 16 years; the Mets offered $765 million over 15 years. Late Sunday, it was widely believed that if the two teams were close, Soto would remain in the Bronx. Yours truly tweeted that for the Mets to land Soto they would have to be $30-$50 million above the Yankees offer.

So much for the mystique of playing for the Yankees. 

Yankees fans can cry in their beer and accuse Soto of being a mercenary all they want - and let's be honest, if not for Cohen's immense financial resources, this is just a pipe dream for the Mets - the fact is Soto is a clutch player who in seven seasons in the big leagues has hit 201 home runs and boasts a career .953 OPS. In the 2019 postseason, he hit .277 with 5 home runs and 14 runs batted in with an OPS of .927 for the Washington Nationals. Last postseason, he hit .327 with 4 HRs and 9 RBIs with an OPS of .1101 for the Yankees. The man is a winner, and if Brian Cashman had done a better job at the trade deadline last season, the Bronx Bombers might well have won their 28th World Series title instead of losing to the LA Dodgers in five. 

Face it, the Mets have a more balanced team with enough hitters to protect Soto in the lineup, especially if they re-sign Pete Alonso, which now seems likely given the season the Polar Bear had last year and the fact that he's gotten zero interest for his services from other teams. In fact, it would not surprise me at all to learn that Cohen reassured Soto that Alonso or someone comparable would be playing first base for the Mets in 2025.

If you're a Mets fan you have every right to crow today. Moments like this do not come along very often. The last time the Flushing Faithful were this giddy about a new player was 2005 when then GM Omar Minaya signed Carlos Beltran to a 7 year, $119 million contract. Though Beltran struggled his first year as a Met, he had three consecutive 100 plus RBI seasons after that.

But as wonderful as this moment may seem, there is still more work ahead for Cohen and David Stearns. With or without Alonso returning to the fold, the Mets will need to replace Luis Severino, who signed a three-year, $67 million deal with the Oakland A's. The right-hander had his best season since 2018, going 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA. Frankie Montas is a good addition, but hardly what you would call an ace. Clay Holmes led the Yankees in saves with 30 and would make a far better set-up man for Edwin Diaz than a starter, which is what the Mets envision him as. Like Severino, Sean Manaea opted out of his contract to become a free agent. Re-signing him should be a priority for Stearns. And let's not forget, Kodai Senga will be coming back from an injury that sidelined him most of last season. There is virtually no pathway to a World Series appearance for the Mets without a quality starting rotation. 

Re-signing Jesse Winker would give Carlos Mendoza another hitter who can platoon with Starling Marte in the DH spot. Jose Iglesias provided a spark last season and can play both 2nd and 3rd base. Hopefully he can be brought back at a reasonable price. And if Stearns can find a suitable suitor for Jeff McNeil, that would free up second base for Luisangel Acuña. The young phenom batted .308 and hit 3 homers in just 12 games last season.

Bottom line: After years of playing second fiddle and living in the shadow of the House That Ruth Built, the Mets, thanks to Steve Cohen, have staked their claim to the city. For the time being, the back pages of the daily newspapers are theirs. They have the mojo. What they do with it next is entirely up to them.

April can't come fast enough.

Is Carlos Mendoza the Next Willie Randolph or Davey Johnson?

In the end, and for reasons we will likely never fully know, Craig Counsell, the man everyone assumed would be the next manager of the New York Mets, opted not to take the job and instead signed with the Chicago Cubs. Was it the money? Perhaps. Or maybe it was something else. What we do know is that Counsell never gave the Mets a chance to match the Cubs offer. So with Counsell gone, Steve Cohen and David Stearns chose Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their next skipper.

Almost immediately, the "Who the fuck is Carlos Mendoza?" contingent chimed in with their nickel's worth of "expertise," with several radio talk-show hosts proclaiming they were done with the Mets. One of those talk-show hosts, by the way, was the shit head who hung up on Carl Banks the other week, so take that with a rather large grain of salt.

As far as Mendoza is concerned, he is pretty much an unknown commodity. According to Wikipedia - yes, I had to go there - he spent 13 seasons in the minor leagues. In 2011, he was hired by the Yankees to manage their Gulf Coast League team, and in 2017, he was promoted to the big club where he's been the bench coach since 2020. Apart from a rave review he got from Aaron Boone, it's anybody's guess how he will perform in the Mets dugout.

In fact, Mendoza's hiring is eerily familiar to the Willie Randolph hiring in October of 2004. Like Mendoza, Randolph was a Yankees bench coach with no big-league managerial experience. In fact, the only difference between both men is that Randolph had a distinguished career as an all-star second baseman with the Bronx Bombers that included two World Series rings: 1977 and 1978.

While the Mets won the National League East in 2006 with Randolph at the helm, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS; and then in '07, suffered one of the worst late-season collapses in team history, finishing 5-12 down the stretch and blowing a seven game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. Randolph's lack of experience was cited as the reason for both failures. He would eventually be fired the following season after the Mets got off to a slow start.

The question for the Mets right now is are they repeating the same mistake they made 19 years ago by going with someone with no big-league managerial experience? The hope is that Mendoza won't be the next Willie Randolph, but the fact is nobody can know for sure. Davey Johnson, if you recall, had no big-league managerial experience either when he was chosen by Frank Cashen to manage the Mets in 1984, and we all know how that turned out. Two division titles and a World Series championship later, the hire is generally considered to be among the best in franchise history.

We also have to keep in mind that Stearns was hired by Cohen because of his expertise in building an organization. Even though the Milwaukee Brewers never won the World Series during his tenure there, he was nonetheless responsible for their ascendancy into playoff contenders. We need to give him the benefit of the doubt here regarding Mendoza, inasmuch as we don't know how the interview went. For all we know, Mendoza hit it out of the park. Take it from a former sales manager who was responsible for hiring and firing, you can never underestimate the importance of a face to face meeting. 

Bottom line, the Mets have their manager in place for the 2024 season. Now they have to fill in their roster. That task will fall exclusively to Stearns now that Billy Eppler is no longer the GM.

But that's another story altogether.