The New York Mets have entered a dangerous downward spiral in the second half of the 2025 season. In just eight weeks, they went from comfortably leading the National League East to falling out of the direct qualifying places, dragging down a collective performance that was well below expectations.
One of the main reasons for the collapse has been the poor performance of the starting rotation. In the last two months, no team in Major League Baseball has received fewer innings from its starting pitchers than the Mets, forcing the bullpen to be overworked and triggering multiple consecutive losses, some even with wide leads squandered.
Mets’ starting pitching: the big problem of the season
In their most painful game so far, the Mets squandered a 6-0 lead against the Atlanta Braves to lose 11-6. Starter David Peterson barely managed to stay on the mound until the fourth inning, walking four batters and allowing multiple hits that opened the door for a devastating comeback.
The damage was completed by reliever Reed Garrett, who allowed an RBI single, a bases-loaded walk and a grand slam to Michael Harris II, sealing a nine-run inning for the Braves. It was the fourth consecutive time the Mets have squandered a four-run lead, a new franchise low.
Carlos Mendoza admits that the starters are not responding
After that painful loss, manager Carlos Mendoza openly admitted that the staff is reviewing everything related to the starting pitchers:
These are tough defeats, but we have to keep going. We have coaches reviewing just about everything… We know the talent is there; we just haven’t been able to get much out of them
The rotation that began the year as one of the team’s strongest points now represents its greatest weakness, and although the urgency for real solutions grows with each series lost and each lead that turns into defeat, Carlos Mendoza sends the message: “We just have to keep going.”
The Mets are in the thick of the Wild Card race, but their margin for error is slim. If their starters don’t regain form and provide depth in their outings, the team will not only continue to lose, but also lose the opportunity to compete in the postseason.
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