$450 Million Offseason Has Not Translated Into Wins

The main issue with the Mets is that the team is built around big names with minimal depth. Because many of their stars have been deterred by injuries, the high-risk, high-reward roster has not worked in the Metropolitan’s favor. Disastrous in-game decisions have also been detrimental, a problem that has plagued the team for decades.  

3x Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander have not been worth their price. A combined 148 inning, with only solid performance, isn’t what the Mets were hoping for. Verlander’s poor start to the year helped set the Mets up for failure. 

The bullpen has been atrocious even with stellar closer David Robertson. There is a slew of plus 5.00 ERA performers who blow leads and can’t put it away when it counts. Buck Showalter has also contributed to this with his frequent mismanagement of his relievers. 

The offense got off to a rocky and unlucky start. They were shutout 7 times by May 12th and were a frequent non-factor. Since then, they have only been shutout once, but now, with less than a 4% chance to make the playoffs, it might be too late. Starling Marte (77 OPS+), an all-star last year, has had a lackluster first half at the plate. Reigning batting champ Jeff McNeill is hitting .258 with 3 homers. 

Big, costly names that have been signed in the past few years haven’t panned out. Francisco Lindor was an MVP level player in Cleveland but simply doesn’t have that same effect in New York. The same can be said for Scherzer and Verlander. MVP runner-up Javier Baez was picked up in 2021 but was extremely disappointing. This seems to be a recurring issue for once elite-level players signed to the team.

So, can the Mets save their season? Probably not.