Back in June, the New York Mets were one of the best teams in baseball. They were standing at 45-24 on June 12, but since then, they faded over the three months. Right now, they are at 76-70, still clinging to the final NL wild card spot. However, given the way things are going, it seems more a matter of luck than control. Their latest setback—an 11-3 thrashing by the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday—was a major embarrassment. That loss marked their fifth straight loss and showed everyone how fragile the team is.

They were outscored 21-6 across the three games. And everything that you think could go wrong went wrong. The bats were silenced, veteran starters failed to give length, and the bullpen simply cracked under pressure. One major issue is the rotation. Clay Holmes struggled on Wednesday, lasting just four-plus innings while giving up four runs. Gregory Soto was also tagged in a relief. It’s not a one-off but a pattern that even others are taking note of.

As ESPN summed it up bluntly: “The Mets can kiss any shot at the NL East title goodbye after getting beat up by Philadelphia this week. Can they still hold onto a wild-card berth? They simply can’t shake the teams behind them, mostly because their starting staff is a mess, ranking in the bottom third of the majors in ERA since the All-Star break.” Phillies, for example, got to Sean Maneaa four runs in five innings Tuesday. That is an issue. Now Carlos Mendoza mentions that the belief in the clubhouse is still strong. Also, the players insist that they are giving their best too, but the results do tell a harsh story.

However, not just the rotation—at the plate, things weren’t any brighter. Francisco Lindor was ice cold and went for a 0-for-15 skid. Juan Soto did manage a solo homer late in the game, but by then the deficit was too much to overcome. Starling Marte’s RBI in the fourth did offer a brief spark, but that went silent soon. Once a lineup that was on fire, the Mets’ offense has gone silent against strong starters, including Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suárez.

But even then, the New York Mets still have a chance. There are 16 games left, so on paper, time is there. However, unless the Mets find the answers soon, this could go down as one team with superstars and the most expensive roster to falter when it mattered most.

Pete Alonso on what Juan Soto is really like in the Mets clubhouse!

Over at the clubhouse, though, another raging question is finally answered—the relationship between Juan Soto and the rest of the players. When Soto inked that $765 million deal with the Mets, fans and media wondered—does the 26-year-old feel at home in Queens? Rumors early in the season came about how Soto didn’t look happy and how his slow start may have been because of team dynamics. But fast forward to now, and the chatter has all gone under the rug.

Soto isn’t just thriving; he is thriving, and he is one of the major reasons that even after a wrecked series, the Mets are still in contention. The best part now is that his teammates couldn’t be more impressed. Pete Alonso is someone who never sugarcoats anything, and he offered a great look into what Soto is like behind the scenes when he appeared at The Show: A NY Post Baseball Podcast.

Alonso mentioned, “He’s just the same guy every day. He has been, for me, I just think he’s really quiet and reserved. He’s focused, and he just lives, breathes, and eats baseball. That’s really it.” And Alonso even defended Soto and those early-season struggles, saying, “You look at his first half, it’s like, he could have easily been an All-Star and selected… but I definitely don’t think the down year thing that people were saying was fair, because it wasn’t. That’s just how great he is.” It is almost ironic, isn’t it? Alonso says Soto is a quiet and reserved person, and it’s the total opposite of how the Dominican in-game persona is.