The Mets were swept by the Rays in June 2025, losing 9-0. Now, with ace Kodai Senga injured, can the NL East leaders survive a brutal upcoming schedule?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Well, that was a weekend to forget. The invincibility cloak the 2025 Mets have worn for so much of the season was unceremoniously ripped away by the Tampa Bay Rays, culminating in a brutal 9-0 shellacking on Sunday at Citi Field. The first series sweep of the year is a bitter pill to swallow on its own, but it's the news that followed that truly sends a chill down the spine of the Flushing faithful: ace Kodai Senga is heading to the injured list, right as the team's schedule turns brutal.
“We knew there were some good teams -- really good teams -- in our division, in the National League overall. Here we are. We’ve got to get ready. The next 10 days, we’ve got to play well.” - Manager Carlos Mendoza
A 9-0 loss is always ugly, but Sunday's finale against the Rays felt different. It was the final stamp on the team's first sweep of the season, exposing cracks that had been papered over by a fantastic start. Griffin Canning was tagged for a season-high six earned runs, looking completely outmatched. While the Mets still sit atop the NL East with the league's best record, the illusion of an easy ride is over. This series was a stark reminder that even the best teams are vulnerable.
The timing of this slump couldn't be worse, as the team's anchor is now gone for the foreseeable future. Kodai Senga, the MLB's ERA leader, will miss at least a month with a right hamstring strain. While not season-ending, his absence creates a massive hole at the top of the rotation. With both Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning struggling in their recent outings, the pressure now shifts squarely to the rest of the staff to hold the line during a critical stretch.
There's no time to lick their wounds. The Mets are staring down a ten-game stretch against their fiercest division rivals, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. It kicks off with a three-game set against an Atlanta team sending a murderer's row of arms to the mound: Spencer Schwellenbach, Chris Sale, and Spencer Strider. How the Mets perform over these next ten games could have massive implications for the NL East standings.
If there's a silver lining, it's that the organization's future remains bright. Despite the 'win-now' focus at the big league level, the farm system remains deep, headlined by Top 100 prospects Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams, and Carson Benge. With Sproat and Williams already at Triple-A, and hard-throwing arms like Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong progressing, reinforcements could be on the way later this season. It's a comforting thought that this current window of contention is being supported by a wave of talent right behind it.
The Mets have been the class of the National League for much of 2025, but the next ten days will reveal their true character. Can the rotation hold the line without its ace? Can the offense bounce back against elite pitching? This isn't just another stretch of the season; it's a gut check that could define the NL East race and prove whether these Mets are true contenders. Buckle up.
