The Mets keep finding new ways to make things hard on themselves, and their holiday weekend trip to Atlanta was the latest exhibit in a season that has spiraled into an extended audition for 2027.
After taking two of three from the Braves at Citi Field in June, New York could only manage a split at Truist Park in its first divisional road test under interim manager Andy Green. The familiar problems all showed up: spotty starting pitching, shaky defense and an offense that rarely does enough.
Even the lone win came with heart palpitations. The Mets carried a six-run lead into the ninth inning Saturday and survived by a single run. In the finale, Juan Soto delivered a dramatic three-run homer off closer Raisel Iglesias with the team down to its final out, only for New York to blow the lead anyway in another deflating loss. Now sitting 17 games under .500 as the second-worst team in the National League, the Mets left Atlanta with four takeaways worth chewing on.
The Devin Williams problem is real
The Mets signed Williams to a three-year deal this winter to succeed Edwin Diaz, betting that reuniting with president of baseball operations David Stearns, who had him in Milwaukee, would cure his strange 2025 season with the Yankees. Instead, his ERA is now worse than it was in the Bronx, turning a foundational offseason move into one of the team’s most uncomfortable questions.
Sean Manaea is no sure thing for 2027
After two strong starts to open his stretch, the veteran lefty has wobbled. His command has slipped badly, culminating in six earned runs against the Braves on Saturday as he repeatedly missed spots and left pitches over the plate. With his velocity topping out around 93 mph, there is little margin for error. Over his last five starts, Manaea owns a 5.40 ERA while averaging just five innings. His $22 million salary for next year likely keeps him around, but he could pitch his way out of a guaranteed rotation spot.
Christian Scott’s brilliance has a catch
By most measures, Scott has been the Mets’ best starter, boasting a 3.49 ERA and roughly 11 strikeouts per nine. But his last three outings reveal a worrying pattern: 19 strikeouts against six home runs over just 13 innings, with nine earned runs and no start reaching the sixth inning. His ERA has climbed a full run since sitting at a season-best 2.50. The stuff says legitimate starter. The length and the long ball say work remains.
A.J. Ewing needs more lefties
The rookie center fielder keeps hitting no matter where he bats, carrying an .826 OPS over his last 15 games with a respectable .724 mark against left-handers and two of his five homers off southpaws. For a team out of the race, there is no reason to shield him. Finding out what Ewing can be in 2027 starts with letting him face the toughest matchups now.