Just about a week ago, the New York Mets were on top of the world with an impressive 45-24 record. They appeared every bit the championship contender. But then, a disastrous 1-9 stretch has turned the tables entirely. During that freefall, the offense collectively batted .215 while averaging three runs per game. Meanwhile, the pitching cratered, giving up a staggering 6.5 runs per game.

That statistical nosedive has not gone unnoticed by those who watch the team closely. On WFAN Radio, host Gregg Giannotti pointed to a deep-seated psychological issue plaguing the clubhouse. He described a team that loses its composure at the first sign of adversity.

“It’s amazing how you, when you start losing in that mentality that is going on, is in your head,” Giannotti explained. “Like last night, down three, nothing. Felt like they were down 30. And, and, and it’s, and that’s sort of the way it worked out.”

His co-host, former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason, supported this view with damning visual evidence from the dugout. He sees a team that is not just losing games, but one that looks like it expects to lose. “And…you’ll see, too, they, they kind of look. And granted, I would feel this way as well. At the end of the game, they all look so defeated,” Esiason observed. “If you looked into that dugout… in the bottom of the ninth, it’s just, they seemed very deflated.”

In response to this growing narrative of a fragile clubhouse, manager Carlos Mendoza offered a firm, tactical wake-up call. He acknowledged the team’s struggles but attributed them to game situations rather than a defeated mindset. “It’s the reality. Once the bottom of the lineup, we’re having a hard time creating opportunities… we’re relying pretty much on the top four five guys,” Mendoza stated plainly.

When asked if the team was pressing, he pushed back, offering a specific example. “The last thing you want to do is go out there, swing first pitch… Before you know it, it’s quick out, quick two outs. And their at-bats are completely different.”

But these team-wide numbers are the result of specific, alarming regressions from individuals the Mets were counting on. A closer look reveals the rot is not just systemic.

Fundamental flaws of the Mets

The offensive black hole is glaring in centerfield and at the corners.

Forced into an everyday role due to injury, Tyrone Taylor has struggled, with a wRC+ of only 76, meaning his production has been 24% worse than a league-average player’s. And the organization’s young infielders, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, have not produced much, as well. Vientos has been particularly poor at third (7 errors), posting a negative WAR of -0.4, meaning he has played worse than a replacement-level player.

The most surprising thing is the situation at the catcher. Francisco Alvarez, once seen as a budding star, endured such a miserable slump that his season OPS fell to .652. Things got so bad that the team shockingly optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. His replacement, the defense-first Hayden Senger, is a non-factor with the bat, effectively turning the position into an automatic out for the foreseeable future.

The pitching staff, once the team’s bedrock, has also regressed just as significantly. Over a disastrous nine-game stretch in mid-June, the starting rotation posted a ghastly 6.37 ERA. Arms like Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn, who were once reliable, suddenly became hittable. This collapse has had a predictable domino effect on the bullpen. The relief corps, which was elite through May, has seen its ERA balloon to 4.29 in June.

This crisis has been fueled by sloppy play across the board. The team’s fundamentals eroded under pressure, with costly baserunning mistakes and defensive miscues becoming regular occurrences. But the recent demotions of Alvarez and infielder Luisangel Acuña prove that the front office is not afraid to make tough decisions.