It wasn’t just another loss; it was a public humiliation. As a Braves player rounded the bases after launching a home run against the Mets, he flashed a crying face toward New York’s dugout, taunting them without hesitation. No retaliation, no emotion, not even a glare from the Mets. The moment went viral, but not because of the gesture, because of the Mets’ complete lack of response. It was the latest gut punch in a rivalry that’s turned into a one-sided beatdown.

The Mets didn’t just get outplayed; they got mocked. This wasn’t the Braves scraping out wins; this was Atlanta toying with them. With five straight losses to their division rival, and a once 13-game lead shrinking fast, fans are starting to question something far more serious than the box score: The heart of this team. Is there any fight left in this core? Because from the outside, it doesn’t look like it.

“I think they’re scared,” said a frustrated WFAN host the next morning. “I don’t think this core has the guts to look the Braves in the eye and go toe-to-toe with them and beat them. The Braves… they laugh at them. They mock them. They flap their wings around the bases. And the Mets? Nothing. Same guys, same story, since 2022.”

That quote stung because it echoed exactly what fans have been seeing for years. The Braves bring edge, swagger, and relentless confidence. The Mets? Silence. And worse, acceptance. While teams like the Rockies and Marlins have found ways to beat Atlanta, the Mets continue to roll over like it’s a foregone conclusion.

And here’s the real problem: This isn’t about talent anymore. It’s about identity. Francisco Lindor, along with Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil, have consistently faced challenges from Atlanta without retaliation. Despite Soto’s involvement, this ongoing pattern feels all too familiar and stagnant.

This past series was supposed to be a statement. Instead, it became a symbol of fear, of complacency, and of a team that doesn’t rise to the moment. The Braves looked dead a week ago. Now they smell blood. And the Mets? They just keep letting them feast.

Five straight losses, and a lead slipping away for the Mets

What began as a golden opportunity to bury the Braves has morphed into a nightmare for the Mets. Entering last Tuesday’s series in Atlanta, the Mets held a commanding 13-game lead over their division rivals. But five games later, that lead has shrunk to eight, and the psychological edge might be completely gone. The Mets didn’t just drop the series; they gifted it away inning by inning, mistake by mistake, and collapse by collapse.

It all unraveled on June 18. The Mets had a 6-2 lead, looking promising to make a statement, until Reed Garrett served up a game-tying three-run blast to Matt Olson in the eighth. Just like that, the tone was set.

The following night felt like deja vu. Up 5-3 in the sixth, the Mets let it slip again, this time thanks to shaky defense and another bullpen implosion. By Game 3, it wasn’t even surprising. The Braves fell behind, stayed patient, and then did what they always do: Took over when it mattered most.

Even Sunday’s 6-3 loss followed the same script: Early lead, missed chances, then Atlanta storming back while New York folded.

These weren’t just losses; they were emotional backbreakers. The Mets had chances to close games out and send a message. Instead, they let the Braves right back in the fight. You could feel the shift. The momentum. The confidence. Atlanta no longer looked like a team clawing to stay afloat. They looked alive.

And the Mets? Like a group watching their grip on the NL East slip through, and doing nothing to stop it.