Someone should have told the New York Mets back in April that the pride comes before the fall. The team is in the midst of an awful 3-13 stretch since June 13, but still only trails first-place Philadelphia by 1.5 games in the NL East.
Normally, this wouldn’t be a red flag. The crosstown rival Yankees are in a June swoon of their own and, like the Mets, now have some very clear flaws and holes in the roster.
Except in the Mets’ case, there’s an even greater cause for alarm. And no, it’s not because they signed outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract. Soto has hit .322 in June with 11 home runs, upping his batting average to .258 and his home run total to a clean 20.
Rather, the Mets’ greater concern should be getting swept by the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend. New York was outscored 30-4 over three games. The 12 runs the Pirates scored Sunday were the most they’ve scored all season. Worse yet, New York didn’t have to face reigning NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.
Adding insult to injury, the winning pitchers in two of three games were Carmen Mlodzinski and Braxton Ashcraft; relief pitchers.
And speaking of pitchers, they’re why the Mets are stuck in this 3-13 slide. Aside from not hitting well, their arms can only hold off the other team’s bats so much. Then again, given the state of the Mets’ pitching staff, is anyone really surprised?
Griffin Canning just tore his Achilles. Tylor Megill is dealing with elbow soreness. Kodai Senga is out with a strained hamstring after a botched play in the field.
Veteran lefty Sean Manaea, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract to remain with the Mets after throwing 181 innings last year, has yet to make a single start in 2025. He is currently rehabbing oblique and elbow injuries with no clear timeline to return.
So, who does that leave to toe the slab in Flushing? Lefty David Peterson has looked better this season, but is 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA in the three starts since his complete game shutout over Washington on June 11. Or maybe Frankie Montas, despite the Pirates shelling him for six runs as he took the loss on Sunday. Clay Holmes will soon pass the 100 innings threshold and, though he’s pitched well, fatigue could be on the horizon.
Add some bullpen games, and you’ve got yourself a rotation.
Lucky for the Mets, it’s far from doomsday. They’ve been struggling, but so have the Phillies. It’s no different than when the Yankees went 9-18 from mid-June until the All-Star Break last season, but the Baltimore Orioles failed to close the gap. Contrastingly, Philadelphia hasn’t widened theirs.
Moreover, it’s a month until the trade deadline and David Stearns will work tirelessly to acquire pitching support. Does that solve the Mets’ overall middling offense and 29th-ranked .217 batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP)? No, not by a long shot. But it at least increases New York’s chances of keeping games close and hoping one tight game will finally be the one where the lineup explodes.
But until then? Count on opposing teams to take advantage of the Mets’ shaky staff and be aggressive when it counts.
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