$370 million. That’s the same amount of money that over 5,000 average people make in a year. It’s also the amount of money that 40 players on the New York Mets make each season, a team that currently sits at fourth in their division with a whopping 10-19 record. After losing 12 in a row, the Mets picked up 2 wins before dropping another 2 to the Rockies, widely considered to be the worst team in baseball.
With this much losing in such a short amount of time, it is inevitable that the fanbase will search for someone to blame. As fans — including myself — are growing more frustrated by watching some sloppy baseball, several major culprits emerge for the Met’s disastrous start . One target of criticism is Steve Cohen, the new president of baseball operations who is responsible for departures of several key fan-favorite players in Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, and Starling Marte. Critics argue that the players brought in including Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco have been unable to replace the hole of offensive production left behind by the players who departed.
Another person who faces intense criticism this year is manager Carlos Mendoza. While many players insist Mendoza is not the reason for the Mets’ early struggles, several questionable decisions have been made by Mendoza, particularly with his bullpen choices late in games, costing the Mets’ several winnable games.
Despite the rough start the Mets have faced, it is important to remember that it is only April. Only 2 years ago, the Mets faced similar circumstances, starting off the season 0-5 before sneaking into a wild card spot and making it all the way to the National League Championship Series. All hope is not lost. In an offensive explosion, the Mets have defeated the nationals 8-0, proving their capability to perform like a playoff-caliber offense. This, taken with the positive showings from this pitching staff, highlighted by rookie Nolan McLean, shows that the Mets still have a fighting chance to be a playoff team, although the window for contention is closing fast.
