On June 13th, the New York Mets were the best team in baseball. They sported a staggering 45–24 record and looked like a legitimate contender. Since then, it’s been vastly different in Queens. Steve Cohen and David Stearns’ ball club, led by Carlos Mendoza, has been one of the worst teams in MLB. New York has the fourth-worst record in baseball, as they’ve gone 31-45 since then. With Wednesday night’s loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, they are hanging onto the final National League Wild Card spot by two games. 

After being two wins shy of a World Series appearance last season and signing the most coveted free agent in recent memory, no one expected the Mets to have any issues getting back to the postseason. They have a ton of talent, including Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Vientos. Even with the amount of star power, Mendoza’s squad can’t seem to find the magic they had in 2024. They haven’t had a single win this season when trailing after the eighth inning.

Mets can’t afford to slump in the last stretch of 2025

The San Francisco Giants have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past few weeks. Luckily, the Mets have the tiebreaker over the Giants. The two-game lead they’re holding over San Francisco is actually a three. Nevertheless, the Mets need to break out of their slump to reach the postseason. 

After the Mets wrap up their series against the Phillies, they still have to face the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, and Chicago Cubs, who are all contending for a playoff spot. They also have the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins left to play, but they haven’t had much success against either of the two despite their lackluster seasons. With the way the Giants are winning, Mendoza needs to find a way for the Mets to win the majority of their remaining games. 

New York can keep championship aspirations alive with a playoff berth

New York can still very well contend for a World Series in 2025, but they have to make the postseason first. Last season, no one thought they would go deep into the playoffs, but they were just two games away from dethroning the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. With the sluggers they attain and the emergence of their young arms such as Nolan McLean, they can shock everyone again. 

Soto has already hit 39 homers, stolen 31 bases, and has a .931 OPS. He’s one of the most feared hitters in the game, with a track record of performing under the bright postseason lights. Lindor and Alonso don’t lack memorable postseason moments either. On top of that, if they get to the ninth inning with a lead, you can almost guarantee Edwin Diaz will lock up a win. 

The biggest question is the starting rotation. Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong are wildcards, but they have a ton of upside. McLean has only made five starts, but he already looks like the team’s ace. The rookie holds a 1.42 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP. David Peterson, Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and Sean Manaea haven’t shown any signs of life in their last few starts. If their starting rotation can hold, the Mets could be a sleeper pick to make another deep run. As mentioned before though, Mendoza has to figure out a way to get the Mets into October first.