September is the stretch drive in Major League Baseball and in an era where more teams make the post season than ever before, it makes it pretty difficult to be on the outside looking in. At least that is the way it would seem. For the New York Mets, it would amount to a huge failure if they were to not at least participate in post season play.

The team was put together with the intent to play meaningful September games and deep into the post season. That was the intent. The reality is that the team was not put together to be a dominant team. Other than the monumental signing of Juan Soto, the components were not all that compelling, in fact, they were truly questionable.

The New York Mets have hit the skids and there’s no hints that it will end anytime soon.

They had a seven game winning streak. But then, they went on to lose 11 of 12 games and the last seven in a row.

It’s painful.

In 2018 Matt Harvey was asked to go to the Minor Leagues and get himself right. He refused. He was stubborn. He thought he was too much a star to be treated with such disrespect. You can’t try to “fix” yourself on the Major League level in the midst of a pennant race.

During the San Diego Padres series, Mark Vientos let loose with his first grand slam home run of the season. He also let loose his frustration about his playing time, or lack there of, and said that it is “difficult to improve" when you are not playing on a consistent basis.

This year’s trade deadline was not as glamorous and spectacular as it was 10 years ago for the New York Mets. Of course, we had the drama of the non-trade of Wilmer Flores to the Milwaukee Brewers for Carlos Gomez. And the acquisitions of Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe from the Atlanta Braves, and Tyler Clippard from the Oakland A’s. It all led up to the trade for Yoenis Cespedes at the deadline that basically delivered the Mets a trip to the World Series.

The Cespedes trade, and those like it, don’t happen that often. The Mets were fortunate that they got Cespedes who was not only talented, but red smoking hot, and he carried the team on his back offensively. But don’t underestimate the value of Clippard, Johnson, and Uribe – three battle-tested veterans who brought a winning culture and professionalism into the clubhouse.

So now that Francisco Lindor has officially been named the next captain of the New York Mets by Yahoo!, we can also bid adieu to Pete Alonso at the end of the season. Now, of course, it really didn't happen as reported by Yahoo!, but if it did, it would be the end of Alonso's tenure with the Mets.

Now I loved Lindor before he even became a Met. And I was ecstatic when they got him, and extended him with a hefty contract. And he’s my favorite Met.

But I don’t believe that he should, at this time, be named captain of the New York Mets. The timing would seem to indicate that there is a definitive mindset with regard to Alonso and his place on this team.

And what good is naming a captain going to do anyway? A leader leads. That’s it. At this point, given the changes in the dynamics of the game and how players behave and how they are treated, and the various roles in the clubhouse and how they have evolved over the years, the “role” of captain is truly meaningless. It’s an honorary status bestowed upon someone who is believed to be deserving of such reverence.

The New York Mets were always known for the ability to produce great pitchers. I think that while it is somewhat true, it’s really a bit overblown. I mean, yes, there was Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack in the late 60’s to early 70’s; and there was Doc Gooden, David Cone, Ron Darling, and Sid Fernandez in the 80’s; and then you had a guy like Jacob deGrom dominate in recent years. But, for the most part, the Mets have been just as futile with pitching staffs over the years as every other club.

What do I mean by that? Well, take a look at the fact that, in at least the last decade, there have been no dominant starters for a lengthy period of time, and certainly no starting rotations that are the core of a team’s success – like the 1990’s Atlanta Braves. Gone are the days when you will see guys like Maddox, Smoltz, and Glavine – three Hall of Famers – run out there every fourth or fifth day and go 7, 8, or even 9 innings. That’s just not happening any longer.

The Mets success has always rested on their pitching and strong starting rotations. The four years that the Mets went to the World Series is clear evidence of that. So why should it be any different now? Why would the formula change?

While the New York Yankees fans always had a disdain for teams that were bitter rivals of the Bronx Bombers, a la the Boston Red Sox for a very long time and, for a short time, the Kansas City Royals, the Mets fans always seemed to be more direct and target a player. And quite often it was for good reason.

Take John Rocker of the Atlanta Braves. Or Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies (actually he was with the L.A. Dodgers at the time of the infraction.) And we can’t forget the utter disgrace of the Cincinnati Reds Pete Rose. Each of those opponents drew the eternal ire of Mets fans. And for good reason.

But why Derek Jeter?

OK so maybe it’s time for the New York Mets to call on all the young kids and put them in the lineup every game and see where they take us. Because other than Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Juan Soto, there is nobody else on this team that is worth guaranteeing a spot anyway. The rest of the brood ain’t doing anything so you might as well let the kids sink or swim because nobody else is doing the job, at least on a consistent basis, that’s for damn sure.

Geez…if you got a pay day of $765 million then the least you could do is make the All Star team, no? You would figure that if someone is commanding so much money…SO much money…that they would be considered, they would be included as, an All Star. I mean, you have to be a real star to garner that much money. But apparently not…not New York Mets superstar Juan Soto.

The New York Mets will end the month of June with a record of 48-37, in second place in the National League’s Eastern Division, right on the heels of the Philadelphia Phillies, with the fourth best record in the Senior Circuit. The Mets should be downright thankful that they are in that position given the last two weeks or so.

The Mets could, and should, consider themselves lucky to be emerging from the month of June and heading into the month of July, going 3-13 in their last 16 games, and doing so in an embarrassing manner. That 16-game span included a 7-game losing streak and three 3-game series sweeps at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Perhaps this is just a snippet in time, during the course of a long season, and when you look at the overall picture, and the end result, it will all go unnoticed. But blowing a lead, as well as the ability to leave the opponents in the dust, just makes the road to a championship that much more difficult, if not more interesting.

But what actually IS the reality? Are the Mets as good as their 45-24 record was heading into the skid, or are they as bad as they have been enroute to the 3-13 debacle?

The Tampa Bay Rays, regardless that they are a small (very small) market team, they have always had the ability to put together a strong showing…and they did that…embarrassing the New York Mets at Citifield where they have been virtually unbeatable in 2025.

If you stick to the old adage that you are never as good as when you are at your best and never as bad as when you are at your worst, then the three-game series against the Rays should mean little. However, if you are an “objective observer” (and that term becomes an oxymoron when you are acting and thinking as a fan) then you can evaluate the situation and see that the Rays might have actually exposed the Mets for what they really are – a streaky team with some really good players and some weaknesses that some not so great players are trying to masquerade.

The Yankees are known during their most recent dynasty for having their “Core Four” which included Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. (Personally, I would have included Bernie Williams rather than Pettitte but that’s just me.) The New York Mets could, potentially, have their own Core Four featuring Francisco Alvarez, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Ronny Mauricio. (Luis Acuna doesn’t count because he was acquired in a trade.) But the jury is still out on that and maybe it’s way too early to tell?

The Yankees young group really made an immediate impact and helped the team regain its prominence after years of languishing with no real direction. And now the Mets seem to be emerging from a similar lack of direction and trying to build a strong organization from within. The young players whom the Mets are counting on have given glimmers of hope but just don’t seem to be able to have consistent success on the Major League level.