The New York Mets, from management to players to fans, actually get to enjoy an off day, a respite from three long weeks. Granted, losing is never fun, especially when paired with high expectations. However, a different type of cloud appears to have rolled into Queens. Laura Albanese from Newsday describes the emerging problem.
“Hope was quashed in highly definitive fashion — best highlighted by their sweep at the hands of the very mediocre Marlins this past weekend. The anger, though, doesn’t seem to be returning with the same vitriol. In its stead, you’re seeing something arguably worse — apathy. The stands were half empty for their game against the Reds Wednesday evening. Social media is populated with fans who have all but given up on the season.”
In Danger of Squandering Generational Talent
Losing usually elicits impassioned responses and visceral reactions. However, as Albanese pointed out, burgeoning apathy is apparently slowly taking over the franchise, especially regarding its franchise player, amid a torrid streak.
Soto leaves the yard 💥 pic.twitter.com/0BTeS6jY3z
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 27, 2026
https://platform.x.com/widgets.js
“There were cheers when Juan Soto homered in his first at-bat Wednesday, but even that celebration comes with a little asterisk — that was Soto’s sixth home run over his last seven games; the Mets have lost most of them. In the end, it almost serves as a reminder that Soto is in his prime, and that this franchise is in danger of wasting it.”
GettyNew York Mets OF/DH Juan Soto hits a home run agionst the Cincinnati Reds during a May 26, 2026 game.
In his last five games, Soto tallied four home runs and six runs batted in. On top of that, in 37 chances this season, he has not committed an error. For a player whose defense is often maligned, Soto stands tall in the field. Despite playing with rookies and struggling veterans, he continues to hit well. Yet, when he is not at the plate, the dull murmur of the crowd lends credence to what Albanese wrote.
Juan Soto hits the Brunson celly on his homer pic.twitter.com/ONSAZXjkpD
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 28, 2026
https://platform.x.com/widgets.js
Mendoza Covering for Players Starts Wearing Thin
Manager Carlos Mendoza, despite the evidence, continues to see the Mets as a team that pushes forward and fights.
“When you’re not hitting the baseball, when you’re not creating traffic, it can look like you’ve lost your fight. Every time you have action, every time you’re dictating at-bats and putting pressure on the defense, then] there’s going to be energy, there’s going to be that fire. When you’re not producing much and you’re not creating that traffic, [putting together] quick innings, quick at-bats, it’s going to look like [you don’t have it].
GettyNew York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza duringa July 30, 2025 game against the San Diego Padres.
Pitcher David Peterson, failed to cover the plate on a throw, a basic part of the game. Mets announcer and World Series champion Ron Darling said that he believes that management, without specifically mentioning Mendoza, will not publicly chastise players when they make mistakes. Concomitantly, Darling believes that management does not possess profound influence over the players.
The Mets sit in the National League East cellar with a dim light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel. The offense, outside of Soto, fails to produce. On top of that, rookies populate the roster, so expected growing pains also delay progress. How long before intimations of apathy become concrete stories with hard evidence?
“They Just Don’t Care”: The Grave Reality Behind the Mets’ Biggest Issue