Two years ago, the Texas Rangers showed the world just how predictable baseball really can be. They collapsed halfway, lost the division to Houston, then limped to the postseason and won the World Series. That’s the kind of chaos that the Mets fans would honestly want to believe is happening right now. But the reality is, things are unraveling for the Queens team and fast.

They are essentially living in a pressure cooker, and with every game lost, their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Their rotation for one is unsettled, and the weight of expectations is not on any big name but three rookies. This doesn’t really scream October, given that the fanbase can almost taste the deja vu in this.

History really speaks a story here. See, according to STATS Perform, just two teams—the 2012 Athletics with Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin, and Tommy Milone, and the 2020 Braves with Ian Anderson, Bryse Wilson, and Kyle Wright—have ever really gone with three rookie starters in a postseason series. And the kicker—both of them lost!

Athletic recently said, “Stearns’ plan certainly worked last season, but largely backfired this season. Now the Mets are going with three rookie starters—Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat. All three are intriguing, but leaning on them in the postseason would be a stretch.” And it makes sense, right? October and rookies don’t go hand in hand. Or else why would teams go ahead and buy players at the trade deadline simply because they have playoff experience?

The irony is that Mets veterans, too, haven’t been much better. Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Clay Holmes compete with rookies, and Kodai Senga has been limited, and Carlos Mendoza recently even opened up about it. Plus, Tylor Megill is only just returning now. So it’s not like Carlos Mendoza has a pool of options to choose from. He can only bring rookies into the mix, ready or not. But to the rookies’ credit, they have held their own.

Sproat dazzled in his debut, and Tong, despite getting tagged for homers, has shown poise and made key adjustments with his curveball. McLean also gave the Mets length in his first outing, even if they cut him short that day to protect his arm. But nevertheless, that experience to handle the pressure comes with experience. In times when even Aaron Judge falters in the postseason, how can rookies handle the pressure? So now, unless the veterans step up, Stearns’s short-term plan will haunt them longer than expected. And talking about veterans, they already have one with a foot outside the door.

Will the Mets Lose Pete Alonso? If yes, who is filling his shoes? 

Last season, the Pete Alonso free agency drama stretched for a long time. The drama between Cohen and Pete Alonso and his agent, and the back and forth, was hot and heavy. But finally, after the parties sat down and talked it through, Alonso agreed to come back, except there was a catch—he would need a player option. And well, for the Mets, that itself was the first sign—he wanted out.

Now this means Alonso could stick for a year at $24 million or test the markets again. And given this has been his “up season,” then testing the waters again is a huge possibility. First, he is not getting any younger, and second, he would want a long-term deal. This is something that Cohen and Co. doesn’t seem ready to give. So, in case the Mets can’t and Alonso walks off, then what’s next?

Several names are floating, but there is another rookie name coming into the picture. MLB insider Jon Heyman mentioned that if Alonso walks, the Mets could look towards Munetaka Murakami. He is a Japanese slugger in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Right now, he is hitting .315 with a 1.118 OPS and 20 homers in just 48 games. And if you think you have heard his name, it’s because he was a star at the 2023 WBC. He hit the walk-off double that sent Japan past Mexico before launching a homer in the title game against Team USA.

For the Mets fans, though, losing Alonso is going to be tough. He is their guy, their home run machine, their favorite, their Polar Bear. But baseball is business, and if Alonso does find a better deal than what the Mets can provide, he will go.