For the New York Mets, the 2025 season has been a rollercoaster. Fans have endured a rough patch in late June, losing 13 out of 16 games. But come Friday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, the team had a 52-39 record. The July 11 contest felt like a summary of their entire year.

For seven innings, frustration mounted as offense was hard to come by. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, a stunning late-game explosion saw the team break out with 7 runs, going on to secure a much-needed 8-3 win.

In the wake of this great comeback, team owner Steve Cohen took to social media. And he didn’t go the easy route of a happy-go-lucky post. Instead, Cohen put out a perceptive note to the team’s very present and at times very critical fans. “There seems to be less complaining after the team scored 7 runs in the 8th and 9th. Funny how that happens.”

To analyze Cohen’s point, you need to see the emotional ebb and flow of the games.

The Mets’ all-year issue with getting runs in scoring position (RISP) was on full display on this very night. They entered the night with a .227 in those situations, which was near the bottom in the league. This same issue came up in the third inning. The Mets loaded the bases but managed to put across only a single run. The inning ended when third baseman Mark Vientos struck out on three pitches, which went viral as he broke his bat at home plate.

The frustration peaked in the seventh inning, when Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. slugged a two-run home run. It put Kansas City up 3-1, and a Mets loss suddenly felt predictable. However, the eighth inning brought redemption. The Mets loaded the bases with no outs, and Vientos came back to the plate. This time, he slugged a bases-clearing double that provided the Mets with a 4-3 lead. “It was good to redeem myself and be able to do my job for the team,” Vientos shared later.

With the pressure abated, the team’s heavyweights put the game away in the ninth. Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer, his 19th. Juan Soto followed next with his team-leading 22nd homer, on the next pitch. It was the sixth time the Mets had hit back-to-back homers this season.

This seven-run surge completely erased the previous struggles from memory, setting the stage for Cohen’s commentary on fan sentiment. This kind of direct communication from the owner to the fan base is nothing new. It is a signature of Cohen’s ownership, and it represents a paradigm shift in the owner-fan dynamic in Queens.

Steve Cohen: The digital king of Queens

This isn’t the first time Cohen has made such an observation. One such example, in June 2021, he tweeted, “I’m noticing a lot less complaining when the team is doing well.” When he purchased the team in 2020, he cultivated an “Uncle Stevie” persona. He famously polled fans if he should bring back the black jerseys and other team decisions. This built a mountain of goodwill and added to the perception that he was really the ultimate fan who happened to own the team.

But as the team started to struggle, Cohen changed his tune.

In August 2021, he railed on his players with a Twitter message that said, “It’s hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive.” He also got into a very public back-and-forth with an agent regarding the Steven Matz negotiations.

His Twitter activity has also made him a magnet for controversy, including during the GameStop stock saga. This history shows his willingness to be blunt, critical, and directly engaged with public discourse, for better or worse.

But the Mets’ current return to victory wasn’t the only positive story for the team on Friday. That day saw the comeback of the ace pitcher Kodai Senga from the injured list. It was the first time out for Senga since June 12, and he did not disappoint, throwing 4 scoreless innings. “I was a little nervous getting back out on a big-league mound for the first time in a little bit,” he admitted.

Manager Carlos Mendoza was very pleased with the performance, though. “He looked like he didn’t miss a beat, that’s a really good sign heading into the break.”

Did you catch the Friday game? Metsy or not – would you like to share your thoughts on the bang-on comeback of the team?