The 2025 season is proving to be a frustrating rollercoaster ride for the New York Mets.

Days after sweeping the Phillies in dominating fashion, the Mets dropped three of four to the lowly Marlins. Consequently, all the momentum and all the hope disappeared just as quickly as it had returned.

Not only is losing a series to a team under .500 this late in the season concerning, but New York also lost ground in the standings. This team is now six games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead, while the Reds have made some ground in the chase for the final Wild Card spot.

All in all, it was not a good weekend for the Mets. There were some highs, but they were overshadowed by a multitude of negatives. And, on that note, let’s recap everything from the Marlins series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Jonah Tong by Roberto Carlo

3 UP
GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

For the second time in a matter of weeks, a Mets rookie made his Major League debut. And, as was the case with Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong balled out in his first introduction to the big leagues. The righty allowed just one earned run on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts across five full innings on Friday night. Tong was impressive on the mound, showing off his lethal fastball and his tantalizing mix of pitches. He also showed a lot of mental fortitude to battle through traffic to record his first career Major League win. It was just one start, but Tong showed a lot of promise and a lot of hope.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Aside from Sunday’s game, the offense continued on its upward trajectory in the series against the Marlins. The lineup put up a total of 31 runs in the first three games of the series, yet somehow won just one of them. The high point came on Friday night when the Mets piled on 19 runs – the most runs scored at home in franchise history. The lineup also amassed eight runs and hit three homers in a valiant comeback that just fell short on Saturday. Furthermore, as well as the likes of Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos staying hot, the Mets continued to mash with RISP.

For the most part, anyway. Entering Saturday’s game, the Mets were hitting .379 with runners in scoring position in August – the best mark in the majors. That included going an impressive 8-for-9 on Friday. This offense has also hit 53 homers in August – the most in franchise history. So, despite losing this series, the lineup still showed signs of hitting its peak at just the right time.

SIGNATURE MOMENT

Yes, it didn’t matter in the end. But, in the moment, Juan Soto‘s clutch home run on Saturday felt pretty significant. The superstar hitter blasted a two-run missile in the sixth inning to make it a tied game. That came after the Marlins had led 8-2 at one point. Of course, the Mets couldn’t get the job done, eventually losing the game 11-8. But the fact that Soto came up with such a huge hit in a monster spot should be seen as a major positive. It was Soto’s first real signature moment in a long, long time in a Mets uniform.

Furthermore, it was a step in the right direction, given that Soto has struggled with runners in scoring position for most of the year. He has seemingly turned a notable corner in that regard as of late. It was also a big series for Soto, who hit three homers with six runs scored and five RBIs in four games against the Marlins. Soto being this locked in at this stage of the season is a very good sign for the Mets.

Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

3 DOWN
GROWING CONCERN 

There is something broken with Kodai Senga right now. The former ace hasn’t been good since his return, and he isn’t showing any signs of turning it around, either. Take his latest start on Sunday, for instance. Senga allowed five earned runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. And, as has been the case throughout his skid, the righty again struggled with his command. He threw just 43 of his 75 pitches for strikes and lasted just 4.2 innings. Since coming off the IL, Senga has allowed three or more runs six times. He’s also yet to complete six innings in any of those starts. Unless things turn around soon, the Mets may need to think outside the box to fix Senga in time for October.

MOUND MISERY 

Take the two rookie phenoms out of the equation, and the Mets are still dealing with the same old problems with their starting rotation. That was on full ugly display throughout the weekend. David Peterson put together an all-time stinker on Saturday, allowing eight earned runs over just two innings of work. That was especially damaging given just how reliable Peterson has been all year. Clay Holmes also struggled in his outing on Thursday, committing a costly error while giving up two earned runs over five innings. All in all, outside of Jonah Tong’s stellar outing on Friday, the Mets were let down by their starting rotation against Miami.

MULTIPLE CLUNKERS

As dominant and as efficient as the Mets were against the Phillies, they were the exact opposite against the Marlins. The term sloppy baseball comes to mind. New York failed to play clean baseball throughout this series, committing a total of six errors, including two in Friday’s win. The Mets made a habit of kicking the ball around in all four games, with the three losses all ugly. Plus, the team just couldn’t put it all together at any point, outside of Friday night. The starting pitching doomed the offense for the most part, while the bullpen also had its ugly moments. The offense was largely red-hot before being shut down in Sunday’s game. And, by dropping three of four to the under .500 Marlins, the Mets effectively kissed the NL East goodbye. The Mets now have a .412 win percentage over their last 68 games – only five teams have been worse. That doesn’t scream a World Series contender.