If the Mets miss the playoffs, at this level within the season when enjoying unhealthy baseball appears to be the one factor they’re good at, this can go down with the worst collapses they’ve ever had, proper there with blowing that 7-game lead over the Phillies in 2007 with 17 video games to play. This wreck will simply have taken longer to play out, over greater than half-a-season this time as an alternative of just some weeks. And possibly, simply possibly, in the event that they do find yourself out of the event, it can really feel just like the worst collapse of all of them.
There may be nonetheless time for them to assemble themselves, in fact, regardless of the best way they’ve regarded for the previous three months. There may be nonetheless time for them to begin trying just like the crew that got here inside two victories of going to the ’24 World Sequence towards the crew — Dodgers — who ultimately gained that Sequence. Nonetheless 13 video games left starting with Sunday’s recreation at Citi Area towards the Rangers.
But when they don’t make it throughout the road, if this freefall continues throughout Sept. 28, this Mets crew and its $340 million payroll will go down as the one biggest monetary flop within the historical past of their sport. Growth. Which means the best disappointment because the final one prefer it for the proprietor, Steve Cohen. That was in 2023, a Mets crew for which Cohen paid $319 in payroll ending 75-87. By the best way? $319 million earlier than (baseball taxes).
You need to understand how unhealthy issues have been since June 12, when the Mets have been nonetheless 45-24 and nonetheless 5 ½ video games forward of the Phillies within the Nationwide League East? By Friday evening, the file since then 31-48. Over that point the Phillies merely picked up a quick 17 ½ video games over our wealthy youngsters within the standings. The ’25 Mets have now misplaced seven video games in a row three totally different instances.
Once more: The schedule and the calendar nonetheless give the Mets time to one way or the other make issues proper, for themselves and for followers who got here into this season anticipating the sky, particularly after Cohen shelled out $765 million for Juan Soto. There was a season as soon as, with Joe Torre’s Yankees, once they misplaced 15 of their final 18 video games and never solely made the playoffs, however ended up profitable the World Sequence towards, anticipate it, the Mets. We came upon that 12 months simply how a lot of a punch these Yankees may take. However can these Mets? Or over the following two weeks are we going to observe them go down and keep down for good?
At which level Cohen’s handpicked option to run his baseball operation, David Stearns, goes to have some explaining to do in regards to the selections he’s made because the finish of final. And please needless to say Stearns had nothing to do with Soto, who’s as soon as once more hitting like a dream, or with Pete Alonso, who got here into this weekend’s sequence with the Rangers with 113 RBI. That was all Steve Cohen.
It was Stearns who couldn’t discover a dependable beginning pitcher on the commerce deadline when this Mets crew was crying out for any person like that. It was Stearns who thought the reply to his beginning pitching issues between final season and this was taking a Yankee reliever and turning him into Clay (5 Innings) Holmes. It was Stearns who one way or the other nonetheless noticed one thing in a bust-out case like Frankie Montas, one other Yankee reject. Kodai Senga, now looking for himself within the minors? He had one huge 12 months for the Mets after which made one begin a 12 months in the past and who, actually, thought his finest days have been forward of him right here?
Whenever you have a look at the massive image with beginning pitchers, the underside line on Stearns is that this: You purchase low-cost, you get low-cost. Was there unhealthy luck with Sean Manaea, who was an enormous man for the ’24 Mets? There was. Guess what. Pitchers get damage in all places. Ask the Dodgers about pitching accidents and see in case you get any sympathy from them.
Now listed here are Stearns’ Mets coming down the stretch, attempting to carry off the hard-charging Giants with three beginning pitchers — Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat — who have been in Triple-A on the All-Star Break. Can Stearns truly attempt to persuade us these youngsters have been a part of some grasp plan for the second half of this season now that the Mets are getting rolled this fashion by nearly everybody?
You already know who seems to be getting rolled right here if the Mets don’t flip issues round and quick? Stearns by his counterpart Dave Dombrowski in Philadelphia, who one way or the other stays underrated regardless of being one of many nice entrance workplace figures over greater than the final quarter-century of huge league baseball. Dombrowski went out and bought Jhoan Duran, one of many largest arms within the recreation, on the deadline whereas Stearns’ huge arm turned out to be Ryan Helsley. And he made a deal for an ex-Met — and ex-Yankee — named Harrison Bader. All Bader had executed for the Phillies via Thursday evening’s recreation towards the Mets was hit .339 in 35 video games, with 4 residence runs and 14 RBI.
Hey, put me down as any person who thought Cedric Mullins nonetheless had one thing left when Stearns introduced him right here from Baltimore to play middle discipline. However Steve Cohen doesn’t let me spend his cash. That’s Stearns’ job now. At a time when his previous crew, the Brewers, is enjoying the best way it’s, Stearns’ new crew goes the fallacious means.
Everyone knows that the Yankees had their very own lengthy streak of dreary, shedding baseball in the midst of this season. They’ve had some losses their followers nonetheless can’t unsee, together with a pair this previous week towards the Tigers only for good measure. However the Yankees by no means fell all the best way out of issues. The Yankees nonetheless have an opportunity to win their division, and get themselves a bye within the first spherical. You already know what would possibly occur to the Mets even when they do maintain on to the third wild card for expensive life? They could should go play a wild card sequence towards the Dodgers. Three video games at Dodger Stadium, if the Dodgers even want three to ship them residence this time round.
Final October, the Mets confirmed some struggle, did they ever, once they have been down three video games to 1 within the Nationwide League Championship Sequence. They gave the Dodgers some beatdown in Recreation 5 at Citi, and at the very least compelled the Dodgers to go residence to clinch the factor. The place has that sort of struggle been, at the very least on a constant foundation, during the last three months? How it’s even doable {that a} Mets crew that confirmed us all the pieces they confirmed us final season at the moment are 0-63 when trailing after eight innings this season.
Oh. For. 63.
Nonetheless time for them to recollect who they have been a 12 months in the past. Nonetheless time for the Mets to flip the narrative yet another time, earlier than it’s too late. By the point Patrick Bailey of the Giants walked his crew off towards the Dodgers with a grand slam, the Mets’ wild card lead over the Giants was ½ recreation.
The Mets: Almost 18 video games worse than the Phillies because the center of June. 4 video games higher than the Rockies.
DON’T LET CHAOS RUIN THE RYDER CUP, JUDGE CONTINUES TO CARRY THE YANKS & NOTHING NEW AT QB FOR BIG BLUE …
The Ryder Cup involves New York subsequent weekend, involves a well-known American golf course like Bethpage Black, and so this has an opportunity to be a really nice New York sports activities occasion, on the market off the Lengthy Island Expressway.
Except it turns silly.
It’s as much as what can be a predominantly New York crowd, 50,000 or so on the grounds each day, to verify it doesn’t.
As a result of that might break it, a lot the best way rain tried to break the U.S. Open again in 2009 at Bethpage Black, again when a New York crowd was counting down on what number of instances Sergio Garcia regripped his membership earlier than each shot.
We all know how loud it’s going to be, from followers of each groups, at Bethpage Black.
We all know how the entire thought of the Ryder Cup has simply gotten greater and louder on this century.
However the story is meant to be contained in the ropes, not outdoors.
With the golf world watching.
I noticed some announcer, a vacationer, calling for “chaos” on the Ryder Cup the opposite day.
Yeah.
That’s precisely what we’d like.
Yet one more time Friday evening, in what felt like the largest recreation of the season for the Yankees, you questioned what this season could be like with out No. 99 doing No. 99 stuff.
If Anthony Volpe has had a foul shoulder for months, why did the Yankees hold operating him on the market?
Gary Myers’ new e book, “Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate,” is out this Tuesday, and is the final one you’ll ever want on these two guys.
By the way? At this level Belichick might be questioning if Brady has any eligibility left.
Xavier Gipson, we hardly new ye.
So far as anyone may inform towards the Commanders final Sunday, the one factor that appeared to have modified for the Giants at quarterback since Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito have been mopping up final season was that the brand new quarterback was sporting No. 3.
Carlos Rodon is clearly a greater beginning pitcher for the Yankees than Clay Holmes is for the Mets.
However the Yankees are certain paying him an terrible lot of cash to be Six Inning Rodon, proper?
Carlos Alcaraz’s finest recreation is best than Jannik Sinner’s finest recreation, as little as there was to separate them over the previous couple of years, and particularly this 12 months.
Lastly this at this time:
Within the shadow of Sept. 11, 2001, all of us vowed to be a greater nation.
How’s that understanding for us proper now?
Initially Printed: September 13, 2025 at 9:30 AM EDT
