Former manager Buck Showalter recently gave a tough reality check to the struggling New York Mets and Detroit Tigers.

“Well, first of all, you can’t compound the problem. You gotta be a consistent personality… if you’re going like this with your emotions, that’s how your team is going to play… You know, what makes a really good manager is really good players,” Showalter warned.

When a team’s talent stops performing, even the smartest managers start looking bad. That is when a season can quickly slip away from a team. Both the Mets and Tigers are winning very few games, and their front offices are under a lot of pressure. Showalter’s words show exactly why these teams are failing. If the players on the field cannot do their jobs well, no manager can save these teams from a terrible season.

Showalter is someone who knows what he is talking about because he has been through the exact same scenario. He managed the 2023 Mets, a team that spent the most money in baseball history but completely fell apart. That forced the team to trade away its stars. Now, the 2026 Mets are in shambles in mid-June with a 31-39 record. With every passing game, they seem close to repeating history.

The New York Mets are sitting close to the bottom of their division and are falling behind in the playoff race. Their numbers show months of ugly play and how the players are not working well together. Outside of Juan Soto, very few hitters have consistently carried their share of the load.

Soto has been great, batting .287 with 15 home runs by mid-June. But the rest of the lineup has not stepped up. Marcus Semien has struggled badly, hitting just .220 with a poor .619 OPS. Mark Vientos is also hitting poorly at .218. When everyday starters struggle this much, it hurts the entire team.

Those struggles have shown up in the field as well.

During the Mets’ loss to Seattle, Semien committed a costly throwing error that helped create a run. Later in the same inning, Vientos misplayed a ball that extended the damage. The mistakes became part of an 8-3 loss that manager Carlos Mendoza described as “sloppy.”

This sloppy play has cost the Mets several games they should have won. The Mets lost a 4-3 extra-inning game against the Pirates after a late mistake from Francisco Lindor. They dropped a 2-1 extra-inning game against the Cubs during their losing streak. The team also got swept by the Colorado Rockies, scoring just one run across two games.

That is why placing all the blame on Mendoza misses a larger issue. Managers can make decisions, but they cannot hit, field, or throw for their players.

Showalter’s comments were not complicated. Teams win when enough players perform. Right now, the Mets simply have not had enough players doing that consistently, and the standings continue reflecting that reality. And if the players don’t perform, the Mets are not going to get any better than they are now.

The same is true for the Detroit Tigers as well.

Showalter offers the same warning to the Detroit Tigers

Detroit is facing a similar crisis, and Showalter had a very clear warning for their front office. Do not trade Tarik Skubal.

The Tigers entered mid-June with a very disappointing 29-42 record. This is a huge letdown after a strong 2025 season where they made the playoffs and reached the ALDS. Now, because of their losing record, there are rumors that the Tigers might trade their star pitcher Skubal. It will be to get some young players to build the future around. However, Showalter was completely against this idea.

“He’s pretty special,” Showalter said. “Before you start thinking about moving him, remember that you are always searching for a guy like that, and you already have him.”

But Detroit’s problems this season have nothing to do with Skubal. The offense has been a major issue for them. While Riley Greene has an average of .301 with eight homers, his teammates are not able to help. Zach McKinstry and Wenceel Perez were both hitting below .180 entering the month. Too often, rallies have ended before they ever had a chance to develop.

The injury situation has only made those struggles more difficult to overcome.

Tarik Skubal missed time with elbow concerns, and Justin Verlander also landed on the IL. Reese Olson, Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres, and Parker Meadows have all dealt with injuries. And the pitching staff has felt those absences.

Framber Valdez, who was signed to strengthen the rotation, saw his ERA rise to 4.58 after another difficult outing against Cleveland. With no offense to back them, even a decent game by the pitchers is starting to look bad.

That brings the conversation back to Skubal. While many expect Detroit to explore a trade, Showalter believes moving him carries more risk than reward. He pointed out that many blockbuster trades fail to get impact from the talent that teams expect.

“The world’s full of those four or five for ones,” Showalter said.

For him, Detroit’s struggles are tied more to injuries and inconsistent performances than the presence of its ace. That is why he believes the Tigers should think carefully before parting with one of baseball’s best pitchers.