After a 9-2 loss to the Pirates on June 28, the struggling Mets, led by Brandon Nimmo, hold a players-only meeting. Can they stop their June swoon?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's come to this. After another lopsided loss, their 12th in the last 15 games, the New York Mets have reached a crisis point. The clubhouse doors at PNC Park were shut on Saturday for a players-only meeting, a last-ditch effort to stop a freefall that has fans and the front office on edge. With an offense gone cold and a pitching staff decimated by injuries, the team is searching for answers before a once-promising season slips away entirely.
'We're not playing well... just put things there, talk about it as a team and move on.' - Brandon Nimmo
The catalyst was Saturday's ugly 9-2 defeat to the Pirates, a game that saw manager Carlos Mendoza get ejected for arguing balls and strikes. The frustration boiled over afterward. 'We just decided we wanted to talk,' outfielder Brandon Nimmo told reporters. 'That's the way this team works. It's made up of very, very good people.' These meetings can be a turning point or just a footnote in a lost month. For a team that has averaged a paltry 3 runs per game over its last 10 contests, something needed to change. The players are now taking ownership to force that change themselves.
With the team's psyche hanging by a thread, the Mets will hand the ball to a brand new face. Frankie Montas Jr. is set to make his Mets debut in the series finale, tasked with preventing a sweep at the hands of the 34-50 Pirates. No pressure, Frankie. His performance is especially critical given the state of the rotation, with Kodai Senga, Griffin Canning, and Tylor Megill all on the injured list. The Mets need an ace, a stopper, or even just a competent starter to give the bats a chance to wake up. All eyes will be on him and on sluggers like Pete Alonso (.294 AVG, 65 RBI) and Juan Soto (20 HR) to back him up.
If you're looking for a silver lining, you'll have to look down on the farm. While the big-league club sputters, the future is looking bright. Top prospects like Jacob Reimer, AJ Ewing, and Carson Benge are tearing it up, all posting OPS numbers over .950. No. 1 prospect Jett Williams is excelling at Double-A, and pitchers Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong are emerging as potential near-term reinforcements. It's a crucial reminder that the talent pipeline is strong, even if it provides little comfort for the current struggles, as evidenced by Luisangel Acuña's recent slump after a hot start and Dedniel Nuñez's command issues.
The Mets have drawn a line in the sand. A players-only meeting shows they know the current slide is unacceptable. Now, words must become actions. It all starts today in Pittsburgh with a new arm on the mound. A win doesn't solve everything, but it would be a desperately needed first step to stopping the bleeding and salvaging a season that was once so promising.
