How the NY Mets can shake skid, hold on to the final NL Wild Card spot
After being swept across four games by the Phillies, the Mets’ hold on the final NL Wild Card spot is slipping. What can help change that course?
PHILADELPHIA — The desperation is now showing in the actions of the New York Mets.
Even holding a four-run lead against the Phillies on Thursday night, Jeff McNeil tossed his helmet aside after striking out. As the lead shrunk down to one, Mark Vientos spiked his helmet and slammed his bat in the left-handed batter’s box.
Eventually, the Mets’ four-run edge had evaporated into another painful loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The 6-4 defeat included the Mets recording 25 straight outs to end the game and capped a disheartening four-game sweep to their NL East rivals. The Mets’ losing streak grew to six games at the most pivotal portion of the 2025 season.
“I’m not gonna say that I’m worried, but we don’t have too much time,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Teams are right behind us and it’s becoming 15 games now. The way you look at it is, we’re still in control of achieving the ultimate goal, but we got to go out and do it.”
In Philadelphia, there were a pair of narrow losses and two blowouts as the Mets’ edge in the NL Wild Card race shriveled to 1.5 games over the Giants and Reds with 15 games left to play.
While the two teams in pursuit are surging, the Mets are playing some of their worst baseball of the season. Here is what needs to change for the Mets to avoid an epic collapse:
Will the veteran of the pitching staff please stand up?
In the upcoming three-game series against the Rangers over the weekend, which includes Jacob deGrom’s return to Citi Field for the first time since he left following the 2022 season, the Mets will turn to their youthful trio of Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong to try and right the ship.
That is a lot of pressure to put on a collection of pitchers who have combined to make eight major league starts in their careers.
Down the stretch, the lift needs to be provided by some combination of David Peterson or Sean Manaea — the club’s most experienced starters.
After back-to-back outings giving up a combined 12 earned runs, Peterson showed some encouraging signs on Thursday night, striking out eight and picking up an astounding 19 whiffs. He was punished for a hanging slider on Otto Kemp’s two-run home run to dent Thursday’s line.
“Felt good. Felt like mechanically, I was a lot better on track, able to repeat well,” Peterson said. “There was a couple of pitches there that they were able to take advantage of and that was the difference between a few runs and no runs.”
The first-time All-Star, who led the rotation in the first half by pitching to a 3.06 ERA and 1.24 WHIP before the break, needs to sustain that efficiency to help lead the staff.
Sean Manaea has been unable to avoid surrendering crooked numbers since returning from the injured list in early July and his frustration mounted this past series. He gave up a pair of two-run innings in the first and second . In his previous start, he was partially responsible for a four-run fourth inning against the Tigers.
A season ago, Manaea was the Mets’ Game 1 starter, but since injuries derailed his 2025 campaign, he has not been able to turn in an outing of at least six innings in any of his 11 outings.
Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso to turn the tide
While Juan Soto might provide the highlight-reel plays, it is no secret that Francisco Lindor is the engine of the Mets’ offense.
In the Mets’ 76 victories this season, Lindor is batting .326 with a .968 OPS and 19 home runs, 60 RBI and 69 runs. In the team’s 71 defeats, the Mets shortstop is batting .196 with a .588 OPS and seven home runs, 17 RBI and 30 runs.
Thursday’s game further provided the proof as the Mets shot out of the gate with four runs in the opening inning against Jesus Luzardo. Lindor knocked a leadoff single, moved over and stole third base before crossing on Vientos’ RBI single. As the offense was completely shut down over the final eight innings, Lindor was 0-for-3.
“I have to be better for this team because at the end of the year, it comes down to playing baseball the right way,” Lindor said following Wednesday’s loss.
Throughout the whole year, Pete Alonso has been the Mets’ biggest run producer, leading the team with 113 RBI — second-most in MLB. But the Mets first baseman has gone noticeably cold. Over the last week, Alonso is 5-for-28 with two doubles, 13 strikeouts and no runs or RBI.
It has left Soto’s massive lift in vain. The Mets’ right fielder is 10-for-28 with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI, five runs and five stolen bases but the Mets have just one win in the last week.
Clean up the lackluster defense
Neither play is going to go down on the box score as an error but both proved incredibly consequential in the Mets’ series loss to the Phillies.
In the sixth inning on Thursday night with the Mets holding a 4-3 lead and a runner on second base, Kemp laced a sharp fly ball to center field. Jeff McNeil took one step in and the ball sailed over his head for the game-tying RBI double.
Reed Garrett recorded two other outs in the frame but could not record the final one before Harrison Bader plated teh go-ahead run on a single up the middle.
“Just made a bad read on it,” McNeil said. “Saw the pitch and it was down and away and he lunged for it and nine time out of 10 on a swing like that, the ball’s gonna be in front of you. He got a lot of barrel on it and it kept going.”
In Tuesday night’s 9-3 loss, the Mets deficit was only three runs before Mark Vientos slow-played a chopper to the left side and Bryson Stott reached on an infield single. Three batters later, Kyle Schwarber launched a three-run home run that broke the game open.
With the Mets’ margin for error growing smaller by the day, they can’t afford to give teams extra openings down the stretch.