Francisco Lindor has been an integral part of the Mets and has been the face of the organization for a long time. But when the Mets decided to add Juan Soto to a massive $765 million contract, things changed. Reportedly, Soto liked Aaron Judge’s leadership better. Things got so bad in the clubhouse that the Mets could not sustain the 2025 season. Now, Carlos Mendoza is here with his own reflection. 

In a recent interview, Mendoza said, “We had a professional clubhouse.” He continued, “Then you go through stretches where it’s hard… it became like a corporate clubhouse… guys respected each other, but I don’t think we celebrated each other enough.” 

Before the 2025 season started, the Mets made sure their team was good with additions like Griffin Canning and Clay Holmes around Juan Soto. And the results of that were seen when the 2025 season started and the Mets went on to hold a 45-24 record until June 12.

But everything changed when Kodai Senga pulled his hamstring covering first base on June 12 against Pete Alonso’s flip. After that day, the Mets went 38-55 for the remaining 93 games, the fifth-worst record in baseball.

Their offense was still firing a bit, as seen from their performances against the Phillies and the Yankees, where they scored 7+runs. But injuries and pitching shortages exposed critical weaknesses in the rotation.

Key pitchers Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill, and Sean Manaea missed significant time due to injuries, while Frankie Montas posted a 6.28 ERA in 38 ⅔ innings. Clay Holmes’ ERA rose from 3.31 to 3.98, and David Peterson’s jumped from 3.06 to 6.43 in the second half.

The Mets’ second-half performance revealed serious struggles. They allowed at least five runs in seven of the last eleven games, including the one against the Cubs, where they let in 10 runs, and against the Marlins, where they let in 6.

Poor defense added to the pitching struggles, with a September defensive efficiency of just .684, ranking 29th in baseball. It also showed on the field as an error by Jeff McNeil in the outfield against the Phillies sparked a rally and caused a series sweep.

Behind the decline, clubhouse issues contributed to the collapse, as manager Carlos Mendoza admitted.

After all these mishaps on the field, it dug back up unhealed wounds from 2021. That alleged altercation between Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil, labeled as a debate incident over what the creature in the tunnel was.

In fact, after McNeil’s late-inning defensive error against the Phillies back on June 20, Lindor reportedly shared “strong words” against the second baseman.

Meanwhile, Lindor did not have a good rapport with Juan Soto, as Soto still doesn’t follow Lindor on his socials. This added to how Lindor and Soto were different. Soto is very quiet, internal, and process-driven, and is focused on routine, but Lindor is very outgoing and expressive and keeps a smile on his face consistently. This reportedly never allowed them to gel together.

The Lindor and Soto dynamic likely played a pivotal role because they are the franchise’s central figures, and their lack of connection affected team morale.

In fact, rumors have it that Lindor never formally welcomed Juan Soto. But Soto has publicly dismissed these tensions.

He has talked about enjoying the clubhouse environment.

Now, looking ahead, the 2026 Mets enter the season with structural changes aimed at avoiding previous issues, including McNeil’s departure.

New additions like Bo Bichette, a 3-year $126 million signing, and Freddy Peralta, projected for 180 innings at a 2.70 ERA last season, should stabilize the lineup. The rotation now has depth and won’t see a pitching collapse as they did with Senga. And their offense is also more balanced, with Bichette and Luis Robert Jr. adding more stability and reducing the risk of repeating 2025’s dramatic fall.

Early-season performance and roster cohesion will be key to proving the team learned from its historic collapse.

Even then, fans have noticed Mendoza emphasizing player responsibility, increasing frustration as they expected accountability from management as well.

Mets fans are not happy with Mendoza for his recent comments about the 2025 collapse

Carlos Mendoza’s words have stirred the pot among the Metsies. One wrote, “2024 Mendoza had NOTHING to do with the Mets winning…2025 Mendoza had EVERYTHING to do with them losing.” The 2024 Mets went 67-40 over four months, showing a historic run led primarily by Francisco Lindor and core players. 2025 was the complete opposite. It looked like Carlos Mendoza had lost control of the clubhouse with all the toxicity. Mendoza himself admitted, “I take responsibility,” in a post-season interview. Another incident was when he left the starters on for too long and kept Edwin Diaz away after he allowed late runs in a loss in September.

Another fan asked bluntly, “Yeah, good analysis. Who’s the leader of the corporate clubhouse? You.” The perfect example of this is the Dodgers clubhouse. Every player on the team is a big name and has some command, but Dave Roberts manages the team well to get wins. Hence, fans are implying that Mendoza should have actively led the Mets’ clubhouse despite players’ ongoing conflicts. The fan believes that even with Lindor, McNeil, and Soto’s strained relationships, Mendoza failed to assert control effectively.

Then came one pointed jab. “Too many ex-Yankees,” suggesting the roster’s former connections fueled the Mets’ 2025 collapse. According to them, Juan Soto and Mendoza’s Yankees background is creating tension within the clubhouse. With additions like Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, this fan fears the team’s chemistry could worsen further.

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One went straight into the importance of having a win-now mentality. “I don’t need guys to be in a silly, goofy mood. I don’t need them to be friends.” For most, winning matters more than clubhouse friendships, drawing a parallel to 1986. The 1986 Mets weren’t all close, yet they won 108 games and the World Series. So, Mendoza may need to prioritize results over camaraderie to prevent repeating the 2025 collapse.

Finally, some talked with numbers. “Your team went 38-55 in the final 93 games? You had 162 games.” Their concern is that the Mets’ collapse was prolonged, with a .366 winning percentage after June 15. The comment questions Mendoza’s in-season adjustments, emphasizing the lack of corrective action during the losing stretch. Mendoza showed faith in struggling relievers like Ryne Stanek in crucial situations that led to a loss, and overused the bullpen. All of these were criticized by former Met Adam Ottavino. The fan continued, “This fanbase wants better in 2026. Start the improvement NOW!”, urging immediate accountability for the upcoming season.

Carlos Mendoza now coaches under a microscope, because 2026 will judge accountability louder than explanations. The Mets’ future hinges on converting lessons into structure. Fans expect evolution next, where leadership steadies talent and collapses become historical footnotes.