The champagne corks have stopped popping in Queens, and now the harsh reality is setting in. Despite securing Juan Soto’s .264 average, 39 home runs, and 95 RBIs through 145 games. What was supposed to be the Mets’ golden ticket to October baseball has turned into an expensive lesson in roster construction gone wrong, as their championship dreams crumble beneath the weight of a fatally flawed strategy that prioritized one superstar over team balance.

Enter: David Stearns, who entered the 2025 season with tremendous expectations after orchestrating the Juan Soto signing, but the results have fallen short of the massive investment. David Stearns pointed out the team’s issues, calling the 2025 season ‘inconsistent’. The Mets’ struggles have been particularly evident in areas where budget constraints forced tough decisions. Moreover, injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas have left the Mets’ rotation relying on its depth, with some people around baseball questioning whether the Mets have enough starting pitching to go far in 2025.

Gary Sheffield Jr., son of the nine-time All-Star who played for both New York teams, has emerged as a vocal critic of the Mets’ approach, delivering a brutal assessment that cuts to the core of their flawed strategy. “The Mets signed a generational talent and are going from 89 wins to probably 85,” Sheffield Jr. observed, highlighting the stunning paradox of regression despite adding elite talent. His pointed commentary zeroes in on the fundamental flaw: the importance of building a complete team around talented players rather than banking everything on one superstar.

The dark side of the Soto signing has manifested in ways the Mets front office likely didn’t anticipate. Juan Soto struggled early in the season with a .223 average and .742 OPS heading into late May, with David Stearns suggesting Soto was ‘probably trying to do too much’. While Soto eventually rebounded and began ‘Soto Shuffling again’ by June, the team’s overall performance remained inconsistent. The New York Mets’ rotation problems have persisted despite Stearns’ confidence, with the team projected to win fewer games than their 89-win 2024 campaign. This decline represents exactly what Sheffield Jr. and other critics warned about: that star power alone cannot overcome fundamental roster construction flaws.

As the season winds down and the reality of another missed October becomes undeniable, the franchise’s most passionate supporters have reached their breaking point. The very fans who once celebrated Cohen’s spending spree now find themselves questioning every decision made by the front office.

Mets Fans Turn on Front Office as Championship Dreams Crumble

The mathematical reality Sheffield Jr. highlighted has become impossible for even the most optimistic fans to ignore. While Stearns continues to defend his roster construction publicly, frustrated supporters have turned their anger toward the front office through brutal social media commentary that spares no one in the organization. The disappointment has reached a boiling point where fans question every financial decision made by the current regime.

“You think they’re gonna win 85 games?” said one fan, reflecting the grim projection that has become the harsh ceiling for a team that spent like championship contenders. Another supporter captured the franchise’s misplaced priorities perfectly: “Players don’t care about winning a WS. All about $,” highlighting how the massive Soto contract may have created a culture focused more on individual achievement than collective success.

The technical breakdown of the Mets’ strategy has become painfully apparent to fans who understand roster construction. “Yeah, but they didn’t sign quality pitching, more of quantity. And that is the problem,” read another reaction that perfectly encapsulates Sheffield Jr.’s criticism about compromising the starting rotation. This fan’s assessment aligns with the Mets’ reliance on depth pieces like Manaea and Montas, whose injuries exposed the lack of true frontline starters behind their marquee position players.

Even with games remaining, the math paints a sobering picture that fans refuse to sugarcoat. “There are 15 games left. They’ll have to go 9-6 to get there,” calculated one supporter, breaking down exactly what the 85-win projection means in practical terms. Meanwhile, rival fans have taken notice of the Mets’ struggles, with one Yankees supporter smugly declaring, “So glad Soto is not a Yankee,” suggesting even their crosstown rivals recognize the burden that comes with such massive financial commitments without proper team balance.

The Mets’ expensive gamble has backfired spectacularly, proving that championship teams require strategic depth, not just star power and Steve Cohen’s limitless checkbook.