The Mets Are Built to Bounce Back
Let’s start here: if you were tuned in even semi-closely before this little mid-June skid, you know what this Mets team is capable of. They weren’t just winning—they were pacing the entire league. The best team ERA in baseball. A rotation that, at one point, featured all starters with sub-3.50 ERAs. A 1-5 stretch of Lindor, Nimmo, Soto, Alonso, and McNeil that finally began clicking like clockwork. And Baty was getting write-in All-Star votes.
Despite this last stretch of losses, it isn’t the time to blow it all up. This is a time for patience and strategy.
A Week of Woes
The Mets got swept by Tampa Bay at Citi Field. Then they went down to Atlanta and dropped three more. And on Friday night, they drop a pivotal series opener against the Phillies 10-2—thanks to a six-run seventh inning that was hard to watch from the Bank’s press box.
The Phillies have taken over the NL East. The Mets are now 1.0 games back. It’s easy to let the panic button start glowing red. But I’m here to tell you: don’t press it.
— Gab (@gabrielleraucci) May 7, 2025
The Injury Avalanche (And the Reinforcements Coming Soon)
David Peterson and Clay Holmes have been electric. Griffin Canning, too—though some issues with command lately, but he kept the Mets in games all spring. You’re allowed a rough patch in June.
The real culprit is the injuries, especially to the starting rotation. And thankfully, the timetable for return is short.
Sean Manaea looked absolutely dominant in his latest Triple-A rehab start: 5 1/3 innings, seven strikeouts, and 15 straight batters retired after a rocky opening frame. He’s one more start away from a return, likely in the first week of July.
Kodai Senga—who owned a league-best 1.47 ERA before a minor hamstring strain—will likely return on a similar timeline.
Tylor Megill is looking at a longer runway with a five-week estimated return, but he’s another one who can impact the pen if the rotation’s already locked in by then. And while Frankie Montas’s rehab has been far from electric, there’s still potential there. If he’s not rotation-ready, he could bring value out of the bullpen.
Bullpen: Thin Ice, Not Broken Glass
Yes, the bullpen has cracked. And yes, they’ve been overused—because the bulk innings haven’t always been there from the rotation, and that bridge to Edwin Díaz gets longer and more brittle.
But this pen isn’t broken. Max Kranick (15-day IL, elbow strain) had been a quiet but crucial middle-innings weapon earlier this season. Díaz is still unhittable. Reed Garrett has scuffled recently, but his April and May were nails.
Huascar Brazobán, Ryne Stanek, and José Buttó have been erratic—but not hopeless and not without reroute. Justin Garza, while roughed up against Philly, has shown some flashes in his short time with the club.
The Lineup Works in Waves—And That’s Okay
When this offense is hot, it’s contagious. You can see it. When Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso get going, Jeff McNeil usually follows.
Starling Marte has been on a tear. Brett Baty has battled through soreness but is back. Mark Vientos is slugging through his rehab at Triple-A and will hopefully come back stronger. Ronny Mauricio may get some needed reps in Syracuse and can certainly slot wherever McNeil and Luisangel Acuña aren’t.
Francisco Alvarez is stinging the ball. He’s just not getting results—yet. Luis Torrens has proven he can string together solid contact with regular at-bats. And Tyrone Taylor has quietly been one of the most consistent performers this month, especially in the Braves series. Jesse Winker won’t be back soon, but when he is, he adds depth, grit, and OBP to lengthen the lineup.
This team feeds off each other and plays better when they’re having fun. It’s a fact.
The Vets Are Vets for a Reason
I’m not wasting words on trying to sell the Mets’ “Big Three” here. The discourse has been tired, and none of them are a problem. Alonso has “slumped” for about 48 hours at a time. Soto is one of the best plate presences in the league. Lindor is the most complete shortstop in baseball.
Let’s call it the “Big Five” because Nimmo McNeil are two of the smartest, most reliable players in the game. Nimmo might need a dedicated seat in Cooperstown for his home run robberies alone. And McHits is Mr. Adaptable. Wherever you plug him in, he produces—offensively and defensively.
The Warning Track Blues (And the Ball That Keeps Dying)
Let’s be honest—something’s off and out of the Mets’ control. Too many warning track deaths. Too many “hardest-hit double” comments. And I could be convinced it’s the ball.
Not to pull anyone into my conspiracy here, but per Andrew McCutchen: MLB disclosed the seams are higher this year, which means more drag, which means balls aren’t flying as far.
Who’s to say that doesn’t have an impact on pitcher injuries? We certainly know its effect on the Mets’ lineup, their RISP woes, and their “unluckiest batter” all season long. Whatever it is—live balls, dead balls, voodoo—it’s noticeable. And the Mets have felt it more than most.
There’s only so much you can say about 110 mph+ exit velocity/22-degree launch angle balls going less than 400ft on more than one occasion.
Ya Gotta Believe
So yeah, it’s one week in June. And the Mets still hold ground in the division. Still have the backbone of a team built to contend. And to appease those willing to give up every prospect, they’ve got leverage in the market if needed. Manaea and Senga will be back. Baty is back. Vientos is on deck. We’re all Winker watching. The bullpen will stabilize when it’s not getting stretched so often. The lineup will click—again. That’s baseball.
You know who else lost 7 games in a row in June
The 2015 Mets
— Lime and Mets (@LimeMets) June 21, 2025
I don’t mind being your voice of reason. As someone who watches every Mets game, writes about every series, and has to somehow look presentable for a 9-to-5 the morning after a late night at Citi—believe me when I say: A handful of bad days are really nothing to worry about. You don’t throw out everything you know about this team because of a sloppy couple of games.
Okay, sorry if I sound like Pollyanna here, but work with me for a moment. Think back to the end of May last year and what you were no doubt feeling. Remember what transpired afterwards. Take a deep breath. It’s a long way to go. A hard row to hoe. Have faith. Hang in there.
— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) June 21, 2025
This is a 162-game grind; you’ve got to be built to last. So no, it’s not time to panic. It’s time to get healthy. Time to reset. And very soon, time to reclaim the NL East.
