The New York Mets are in the middle of a disastrous collapse in the 2025 MLB season. From being the top NL contender in June to now being on the outside looking in at the postseason field, it's been an abject disaster the last few months.
While the Mets' offense is still humming, the pitching staff has collapsed, even with the efforts of the Mets' trio of rookies stepping up in the absence of Kodai Senga, and the struggles of Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes.
However, even with the Mets' brutal collapse, they still have a chance to make the postseason with six games left. But, regardless of how the season ends, should Carlos Mendoza, the Mets manager, be brought back? According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, he's not expected to go anywhere.
Carlos Mendoza is expected to stay with the Mets despite a brutal second-half collapse
"That said," Britton writes, "It would be uncharacteristic of Stearns to move on from Mendoza this quickly."
Mendoza is in his first year as manager of the Mets, and while this collapse has been brutal, it's not the fault of Mendoza. The pitching staff has completely imploded, and while someone like Ryan Helsley could've been used differently, the onus is on the pitchers to make their pitches, not on Mendoza.
Even then, it's easy to put the blame on the manager, rather than the $300+ million roster. While Mendoza isn't completely free from blame, the comparison to other Mets managers of years past highlights how Mendoza is likely to get another year in New York.
"But he's not the tactical liability that Mickey Callaway was (among other things)." Britton writes. "He hasn't lost the clubhouse the way Luis Rojas did in 2021. I know Stearns doesn't view him as an uneasy philosophical fit, the way he did with Buck Showalter after 2023."
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David Stearns and the Mets aren't afraid of making major changes year over year, but for now, the Mets are expected to keep Mendoza on for another year.
The roster is strong, and the young pitchers could make a second-year leap in 2026. Juan Soto is a phenom, and Pete Alonso, despite being a free agent, could still return this offseason.
Firing Mendoza, after the hot start the team had, would be jumping the gun. There's no friction in the clubhouse, and the individuals are talented enough to make a deep postseason run.
And besides, the Mets aren't even out of it yet. A rebound in the final week of the year, followed by a solid postseason run, could grant Mendoza more than just another year. Their collapse has been brutal, but the Mets aren't ready to part with Mendoza just yet.
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