FAQ (Frequently asked questions): Are there 2007 vibes creeping in with the Mets?
Answer: Yes, in the sense that some of these guys think they are better than they are. They just figured that by showing up, they could win games. Baseball doesn’t work that way. The Mets are not doing the little things that win games, such as bunting, moving up runners, and putting the ball in play.
Is there hope they will get better? There are 47 games left heading to the team’s weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, so yeah, there’s time. Getting the extra wild-card helps the Mets’ cause, which they could have used in 2007 and 2008. Steve Cohen’s “Fab Four” of Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, and Brandon Nimmo has the track record of getting the job done. As Buck Showalter would say, always trust the track record. Ultimately, it will come down to how Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea pitch. They have been underwhelming so far, partly because they are still working out the kinks after being on the injured list. Again, trust their track record.
Do the Mets miss Grimace? Grimace and Juan “OMG” Iglesias were cute stories to rally around last season, but not every year is the same. The Mets can’t keep relying on gimmicks to rally around. It comes down to talent and performance.
Juan Soto (photo, Queens Chronicle)
Has Juan Soto been a disappointment? Great question because he has been a talking point of the Mets’ 2025 underachieving season so far. He has borne the brunt of everything that has gone wrong. On the surface, he has had a fine year by hitting 26 home runs and driving in 64 runs to go with his 100 hits with a slash line of .382/.483/.864. But he hasn’t exactly elevated the Mets, the way Francisco Lindor did last year. The Mets are paying him to do just that, and he hasn’t done that. He still has two months to make up for it. A great September goes a long way. The same can be said for the other members of the Fab Four.
Why does David Stearns believe in Frankie Montas? Only he knows the answer. The guess here is Stearns doesn’t want to give up on him because he is the Mets’ president of baseball operations’ pet project. He has so much invested in Montas. The question is: At what cost? Stearns can’t compromise the team by throwing a struggling starter every fifth day when there are better options out there, such as Nolan MacLean or Brandon Sporrer.
Will Sporat or MacLean be called up? FOA: A source told me not to expect either to be called up this year. Stearns seems to have a plan on how those two are used, and he doesn’t want to deviate from it. He is determined to make sure they are on a pitch limit.
David Stearns (photo Reddit)
How about Stearns’ trade deadline moves? He did a great job addressing them. The Mets’ bullpen has been overworked due to the starters not pitching past the sixth inning this year, necessitating the acquisition of Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley. There’s a school of thought that the Mets are acquiring both of them as insurance if Edwin Diaz opts out. It’s interesting, but I can’t see Mets owner Steve Cohen letting Diaz walk. If Cohen wants him back, he will be back no matter the cost.
Will the Mets make the playoffs? Yes. I expect the hitters to figure it out.
Will the Mets make the World Series? Not this year. I could see them flaming out in the wild-card series. How can anyone trust the Mets’ starting rotation at this point? There’s not much out there. I don’t see the team replicating the same magic from last year.
How much should we blame the manager and/or GM? Carlos Mendoza can only do so much. It comes down to the hitters not performing. It’s hard to blame him if his starters can’t go deep in games. Stearns is fair game, though. He thought he would get something out of Clay Holmes. He did, but the problem is, what good is Holmes if he can’t go past five innings? Also, his investment in Montas is a swing and a miss. Just because the pitching lab fixed Luis Severino and Manaea last year doesn’t mean it can fix everyone.
Bottom line: Like 2007?
