NEW YORK — The New York Mets' season has hit a brutal skid, with the team now mired in a 12-game losing streak that has dropped their record to a major league-worst 7-16. The latest defeat came Tuesday night at a chilly Citi Field, where the Mets fell to the Minnesota Twins in a series opener that highlighted their ongoing struggles. Fans left the stadium dejected after another collapse, as the team failed to hold a lead and couldn't muster much offense late in the game.
The streak, which began after the Mets' last win on April 8, has left players and management searching for answers. Shortstop Francisco Lindor acknowledged the weight of the situation, saying, "We're all very aware of it, you know." He added, "But at the end of the day ... we have to come out and bring it." The Mets' woes have been particularly stark in clutch moments, with the team blowing leads in six of the 12 losses, including Tuesday's game where starter Nolan McLean was solid but perhaps overextended due to a depleted bullpen.
Manager Carlos Mendoza defended the decision to push McLean, noting, "We had a couple of our guys down." He explained, "We knew we were going to push [McLean]. We felt good with where he was at." Closer Devin Williams, who entered with the game tied in the ninth, had a nightmarish outing, facing five batters without retiring any, walking three, and allowing the final two runs that sealed the 5-3 loss. Williams, a free-agent signing this winter, had been lights-out early, posting a perfect ERA through five appearances by April 7. But in his last three outings, he's surrendered seven runs over just 1⅓ innings.
The drama peaked when Williams loaded the bases with no outs, prompting his removal. Reliever Austin Warren stepped in and struck out Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, and Byron Buxton in succession, drawing chants of "MVP! MVP!" from the frustrated crowd after the first strikeout. By the third, the fans' cheers suggested a momentary victory, though it couldn't salvage the game. Warren, a journeyman right-hander, provided a brief spark in an otherwise dismal night.
Offensively, the Mets have been equally ineffective, especially in high-pressure spots. According to TruMedia data, their batting average with runners in scoring position during the streak stands at a dismal .161. It drops to .094 with two outs and runners in scoring position, and plunges to .056 in late-inning, high-leverage situations. Mendoza reflected on Tuesday's game, saying, "I thought we had some really good at-bats the first four innings." But he admitted, "After that, they just kind of shut us down. We couldn't get anything more."
The Mets managed no hits after the fourth inning and didn't get a runner on base after the fifth. Over the entire 12-game skid, they've scored just eight runs from the sixth inning onward. On Tuesday, while the Mets went quiet, the Twins erupted for five runs in those late frames. Second baseman Marcus Semien has drawn criticism for his recent production, but he's actually gone 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position during the streak. The rest of the team is a combined 6-for-53, good for a .113 average.
One bright spot on the horizon is the return of star outfielder Juan Soto, who has missed 15 games due to a left quad strain suffered on April 3. The Mets' offense has cratered without him, averaging 1.83 runs per game during the losing streak—well below the major league minimum of three runs per game for other teams in that span. They've scored two or fewer runs in nine of the 12 defeats. For context, through April 3 with Soto in the lineup, the Mets averaged 4.38 runs per game, ranking 15th in MLB. Since his injury, that figure has fallen to 2.67, dead last in the league.
Those post-injury numbers include three wins immediately after Soto went down, but the slide has been relentless since. Lindor cautioned against overloading expectations on Soto's return Wednesday, saying, "I hope everybody doesn't put all the pressure on him, because it'll be a little bit unfair." Still, he praised the slugger: "But I know he is going to help us tons; he's one of the top three hitters in the league." While Soto's absence isn't the sole culprit, his impact is undeniable, and his comeback offers a glimmer of hope amid the despair.
Despite the grim present, preseason projections painted a rosier picture. In one projection system, the Mets were tabbed for 90.7 wins, equating to a .560 winning percentage. With 139 games remaining, simple math suggests that playing at that pace from here would yield 85 to 86 victories—potentially enough for a playoff berth in some seasons under the current format. The team entered the year with a payroll exceeding $375 million, backed by high expectations after offseason moves like signing Williams.
Yet history looms large and unforgiving. The Mets are the 139th team in major league history to lose 12 straight games, and none of the previous 138 made the postseason. Mendoza addressed the historical precedent head-on, stating, "Hey, there's a lot in front of us here, but we got to go out and do it." He continued, "Obviously the history will tell you otherwise. But you still believe in the players. You still believe in the guys in that room."
Williams echoed the need for a reset, remarking, "Every day is a new day, right? We have a chance to win a game every day. Right now, everyone knows the situation. It's just kind of stacking on top of each other." The closer's words capture the mounting pressure on a club that seemed poised for contention but now faces an uphill battle to salvage its season by mid-April.
The Mets' bullpen issues compound the offensive woes. With several relievers sidelined, managers have had to stretch starters like McLean, who was brilliant for much of Tuesday's outing before faltering. Williams' early-season dominance has evaporated, turning him into a symbol of the team's unraveling. Meanwhile, the lineup's inability to deliver in clutch spots has left games slipping away, often after promising starts.
Looking back, the Mets won three straight right after Soto's injury, but momentum evaporated quickly. The 12 losses span a variety of opponents and venues, underscoring systemic problems rather than bad luck alone. At Citi Field, the frigid conditions Tuesday added to the misery, with fans braving the cold only to witness another defeat.
As Soto returns, the focus shifts to integration and collective improvement. Lindor's plea for shared responsibility highlights the mindset shift needed. Mendoza's faith in the roster persists, but the path forward requires immediate wins to shake the streak's psychological toll. With 139 games left, the Mets aren't mathematically eliminated, but the clock is ticking on their championship aspirations.
For now, the reeling Mets must stack victories instead of defeats. The return of a star like Soto could spark a turnaround, but only if the team addresses its clutch deficiencies and bullpen depth. In a season full of promise turned peril, New York's baseball faithful cling to the belief that better days lie ahead—at least until the next loss piles on.