The New York Mets didn’t just unravel in one night against the Chicago Cubs—it honestly has been a slow burn for them. However, Wednesday’s loss felt like a breaking point. This, after all, is the final straw; it’s where the contenders are supposed to rise. But the Mets looked like pretenders, and they let the Cubs expose the cracks that were hidden for weeks.

Now with four games left, the Mets’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Plus, the Mets make the picture look even more bleak. New York is tied with the Reds for the final NL wild card spot, but Cincinnati has the tiebreaker. And the D’backs are just a game back and hold an advantage over New York. So every error, every miscue feels tenfold in a race this tight. And the Mets are giving away too many freebies.

And the game against the Cubs was just that—ask Mark Vientos. His defensive struggles at third base have become impossible to ignore. Tuesday’s error against the Cubs is one you have to notice. With two outs and a chance to stop the bleeding, he mishandled a grounder and then spiked the throw. This opened the door for Chicago to tack on more runs. After the game, Carlos Mendoza didn’t sugarcoat it.

Mendoza said, “They are routine plays; at this level, you expect them to be made. We just have to be better,” Mendoza said flatly, putting the spotlight right back at Vientos. And it’s not like it’s just Mendoza who is under the radar for decision-making; even David Stearns is. However, other veterans like Francisco Lindor were trying to shoulder this blame and keep the spirits of maybe the fans and even the players high.

Lindor said, “We have to clean it up,” and stressed accountability. But right now, one thing they don’t have is time. With another lefty on the mound tomorrow in Imanaga, the pressure will be on Mendoza to stop with the tinkering, maybe, and make the obvious move—Brett Baty to third and Mark Vientos to DH. At this point, every decision, every inning matters, and it will decide whether they will be playing in October or not.

New York Mets fans question Mendoza’s judgment

“Did it really take Mendoza 158 games to figure out Vientos shouldn’t be in the field?” one fan joked. And the timing really tells it all. Mark Vientos in September is hitting just .182. But who should be on the field? One name coming forth is Brett Baty. He has been the Mets’ quiet breakout star. When he plays, New York is 58-40, and his slash line of .253/.312/.740with a 109 OPS+ shows that he is an above-average hitter. Fans are demanding Mendoza for a change, and if not now, then when?

One user said, “Baty has been one of their best hitters in the 2nd half, and he plays good defense. He has to be in the lineup every day!” And it makes sense. Brett Baty is delivering what Veintos should have. He had posted an S-0.7 WAR in 2023, and he is up to 2.1 WAR this season. In 388 at-bats, he has 98 hits, 51 runs scored, 17 homers, and 47 RBIs. This is his career high across the board. Yet the New York Mets chose not to trust him every day for 3B over Vientos, and that’s nagging the fans.

One fan pointed out, “What about Holmes’ lack of effort and Mendoza not holding him accountable?” And the frustration is warranted, almost. On Wednesday, after Alvarez’s two homers cut the Cubs’ lead to 6-2, the Mets unraveled in the bottom half. After the Vientos’ misplay that led the momentum to vanish, Clay Holmes also fired a wild pitch. And then Pete Crow-Armstrong sprinted home as Holmes failed to cover the plate. So, the Cubs pushed the lead to 8-2 and essentially buried the Mets. So not only Vientos, but fans are also asking for the fingers to be pointed at Clay Holmes, too.

Highlighting the pitching issue, one user said, “The Mets are just not a good team this season. Pitchers are showing last year was just an illusion, and the trade deadline pickups haven’t produced much.” And the numbers back it up. Since July 1, the Mets’ rotation has a 5.01 ERA and a .257 opponent. Starters can’t pitch deep, and runs pile up early. Outside of Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat, there is little trust. David Peterson, Sean Manaea, and Clay Holmes have not performed the best either.

One user said, “Unfortunately, that’s 100% on Mendoza. Vientos has shown to be a poor fielder all year, and you live with it if he’s hitting, but he isn’t.Another costly mistake by MENDOZA…” The decision to start Vientos at third against a left was already a huge gamble. And Mendoza himself admitted that he sacrificed defense for offense. The problem is the offense didn’t show, given that Vientos went 1 for 4 on Wednesday. Over his last 15 games, he has only one homer. That’s a cold bath, and this is not the time to get cold.