The Mets are winning, but the celebrations are not coming off as expected. With a perfect 35-22 record and wins in five of their last six games, this team might feel like a golden glow. But within the inner sanctum, there was a quiet nervousness, a worry that belied their high status. The Queen’s president, in particular, is not happy with their performance.

We can all see that the New York Mets are on a roll, with a recent 4–2 win over the Colorado Rockies. Francisco Lindor hit two home runs in that game, giving the team 25 straight wins when he goes deep. This ties the second-longest such stretch in MLB history. But even with all this success, the team’s president underscored a worrisome situation.

David Stearns is the man with the blueprint for the Mets’ present and future. And now, he has named two key areas to look out for: Batting with runners in scoring position and defense in the infield. “We have not been good in that spot over the course of the year and more recently over the last 10 days [or] two weeks.” Stearns mentioned that success in these scenarios can be “random,” but the team hasn’t been doing well.

He didn’t mince a word, especially when he knew that deep down, even players were aware of it.

David Stearns pointed out, “Are (players) extremely aware of this, and sometimes you wonder, ‘Is this a good thing or a bad thing to be as aware of this as they all are?” Wait, there was more… Stearns talked about the “uncharacteristic miscues” that have cost the club games on defense. “I think we will clean [them] up. They’ve cost us a couple games. We understand how important every single out is.”

Probably, he was referring to the two errors committed by the team’s defense, halting their 4-game winning streak with a 9-4 loss to the White Sox. Then there were errors by Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos as well that ended up in the Mets losing the Subway Series. In fact, Alonso himself admitted, “I mean, yeah, I messed it up.”

So, even though Lindor had a great game and the team’s record is excellent, Stearns is more interested in things that need to be fixed. He stresses that the team shouldn’t get too comfortable and instead work on particular areas where they are weak to keep their momentum going.

Stearns had just given the squad a harsh reality check that went beyond post-game excitement. And in his thorough analysis of the team’s strengths and faults, he couldn’t ignore one performance. Any guesses?

Stearns is confident in Soto’s rebound despite a slow start

Juan Soto’s first season with the New York Mets has not been a cake walk. After signing a record-breaking deal, everyone had high hopes. But now, Soto’s batting average is only .229 after 56 games, with 8 home runs, 26 RBIs, and a .755 OPS. These numbers are below his career averages. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the management, either.

David Stearns said that Soto is having a hard time and that the slugger might be “trying to do a little too much” at the plate. “Do I think he’s trying to do a little too much right now? Yeah, I think he’s probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving.” And Stearns is not alone in backing Soto; the man in charge also understands that.

Carlos Mendoza agrees with this hope and points out that Soto keeps making strong contact and has excellent plate discipline. Mendoza thinks, “We’ve seen it pretty much every day he’s hitting a couple balls hard. The results haven’t been there, but he’s gonna get going.”

Soto has helped the team win games even though he is going through a hard patch. Stearns and Mendoza are both dedicated to helping him through this time. They know that there are a lot of expectations for Soto, but they believe that his talent and work ethic will help him overcome the problems he’s facing right now. The Mets are confident that Soto can get back to his best as the season goes on. Are you, too?