The boos started before the ball even landed in Jacob Young’s glove. Francisco Álvarez had connected, the sound off the bat was pure, and the Citi Field crowd leapt as one, expecting redemption after nine innings of frustration. But Young ran to the wall, timed his jump, and denied Álvarez of a game-tying home run. A shot that would have kept the Mets’ playoff aspirations. By the time the outfielder’s feet hit the track, the stadium’s atmosphere had turned from hope to disappointment. The Mets lost another one-run game, 3–2. And with it, a little more trust from their fan base.

This loss wasn’t an isolated bruise; it was part of a pattern. New York has now lost 11 of its last 16 games, falling to roughly 80–76 and slipping behind Cincinnati in the wild-card standings thanks to a tiebreaker disadvantage. Their run differential (+56) suggests a better team than the standings show, but the Mets are just 20–27 in one-run games, and that’s where seasons are won and lost. Sean Manaea, signed to steady the rotation, owns a 5.59 ERA and has failed to pitch into the sixth inning in four of his last five starts, forcing a bullpen already stretched thin to cover too many innings. Even Juan Soto’s milestone 100 RBIs haven’t been enough to cover for a lineup that keeps stranding runners when it matters most.

“If anyone can do it, it’s us,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after Sunday’s loss, a line that landed differently depending on who heard it. For players, it was a rallying cry. For fans, it sounded like denial. They’ve seen late-season collapses before, 2022, 2023, and aren’t in the mood for slogans. New York wants execution, not affirmation.

Mendoza’s confidence isn’t necessarily misplaced, but it needs proof. Since June 13, the Mets have blown 20 or more leads, the most in MLB during that span. Their bullpen ERA (3.76) ranks fourth in the National League, but they’re also third in total relief innings thrown, signaling starters aren’t going deep enough. Clay Holmes shows promise as a stabilizer, and young starters like Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean are getting looks, but only one Mets starter (David Peterson) has made multiple starts of 6+ innings lately. With just six regular-season games left, the Mets need more than Mendoza’s line; they need starters who go deep, fewer melted leads, and bottom-of-order bats that come through on Sunday afternoons, not only big names like Nimmo or Lindor.

Fans however aren’t buying words anymore, they want receipts on the field. They have seen enough setbacks and are calling Mendoza’s statement “delusional.” This is New York, after all, where defiance only works if you back it up. The next week will decide if Mendoza’s quote becomes a rallying cry that saves the season or a punchline fans repeat all winter. The time for optimism has passed, the Mets now have to prove it on the field.

Words aren’t enough: Mets fans demand proof on the field

Citi Field wasn’t just quiet after the loss; it was simmering with frustration. Fans have seen it all before: big hopes, blown leads, and promises that fall flat. Carlos Mendoza’s hopeful remark following the recent meltdown feels like a bucket of ice water that triggered eye rolls and whispered curses throughout the stands. In New York, optimism only resonates when it’s supported by results, and at this moment, the Mets’ words aren’t sufficient to quell the anger.

“If he’s talking about collapsing or failing to live up to expectations, 100% correct. We’ve seen it many times. In fact, we saw it in 22,23, with most of the same guys. At least Lindor has turned it on with the bat and on the bases, but honestly they don’t deserve it,” fans argue, pointing to repeated late-season failures from 2022 and 2023, often with many of the same players, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo at the heart of it. There’s grudging respect where it’s earned. Lindor’s bat and base-running flashes some life, hitting .267 Avg, 28 HR, 80 RBI, 166 Hits. But for the rest of the roster, fans feel the team hasn’t done enough to justify optimism. Each misstep, each given lead, only fuels the chorus of disbelief echoing through Citi Field: history keeps repeating, and patience is running thin.

“What infuriates me is that we had the Nationals over the weekend, and the D-Backs faced the Phillies, while Cincy played the Cubs, but they came out on top while we stunk up the joint. Seriously, can we change the narrative here!!!! Geeeeeezzzz!” Fans are seeing over the Mets’ recent stumble, and the timing couldn’t feel worse. Especially after a weekend where the Nationals edged them 3–2 and 5–3, while the Reds blanked the Cubs 1–0 to complete a four-game sweep and tie the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks also capitalized on the Phillies, winning 9–2, with Corbin Carroll hitting his 31st home run and stealing his 30th base, marking the D-backs’ first 30–30 season, while the Mets faltered, both Arizona and Cincy surged ahead. The contrast is impossible to ignore, and supporters can’t help but vent, seeing their team lose a chance to climb the standings while rivals capitalized.

“Was the question, How can you blow the season so badly after having the best record in baseball in June?” It’s a question that hits hard, not just because of another painful defeat, but because it exposes a stark truth. The Mets were once the team everyone feared. Back on June 12, 2025, they stood at 45–24, the best record in all of baseball, riding high on promise and potential. But baseball has a way of humbling even the brightest teams by September 21, they had stumbled to a 35–52 stretch, one of the toughest slumps in the league. And now, with just a handful of games left, the real question isn’t only about how the season unraveled, it’s whether this team can find the grit and heart to pull itself back from the brink.

“Alonso, Diaz won’t be back……Soto and Lindor are not enough…..The Mets are the new California Angels….wasting the primes of two HOF players. SAD!!!” This isn’t just disappointment, it’s a sense of opportunity slipping away. Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz are expected to opt out of their contracts this offseason, a move that could mark the end of their chapters with the Mets. Meanwhile, stars like Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are still putting up jaw-dropping numbers, Soto with 42 home runs and 123 walks, edging toward franchise milestones, and Lindor hitting .267 with 28 homers and 80 RBIs. But here’s the catch: individual brilliance hasn’t translated into team success. The Mets’ struggles have sparked comparisons to the Los Angeles Angels, who have long faced criticism for failing to maximize the primes of players like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. For New York, the story is painfully similar; the inability to surround elite talent with the depth needed has turned potential into missed postseason chances, leaving fans frustrated and restless.