The 2026 season has not been kind to the New York Mets, as they’ve gone through some massive losing streaks, have seen Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor miss time, Nolan McLean underperform, and the season overall go south.
At 31-38, the Mets are 14 games back in the NL East, and only 4.5 games back for the Wild Card. It might seem too soon to write off the Mets, especially if Lindor returns, and as others begin to pick up the pace.
For how the season’s gone, it’s fair to ask whether the Mets are “cooked” already or not. ESPN’s David Schoenfield handed out his verdict on whether the Mets are cooked or not, and it’s a harsh one that believes the worst is yet to come for Mets fans.
Mets are ‘cooked’ amid brutal verdict from ESPN analyst
“Verdict: Absolutely real,” Scheonfield writes. “While I’m reluctant to write off the Red Sox, that’s not the case with the Mets. Fun fact to consider: they haven’t even played the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies yet (they host the Braves this weekend and will play at Philly next week). It might start to get even worse.”
This is a harsh verdict from Schoenfield on the question of whether the Mets are cooked or not. But it’s an understandable reaction for how the 2026 season’s gone for the Mets.
Not only are the Mets currently last in the National League East, but the team as a whole is incredibly lackluster considering how much they invested into the team this offseason.
Bo Bichette was a massive swing-and-a-miss, Freddy Peralta is being wasted, Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco haven’t played much at all despite being key additions, and the Brandin Nimmo for Marcus Semien trade has been a disaster.
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Most of their offseason moves have not worked out, and with some in-house players struggling or getting injured, it’s not a surprise that the 2026 season has been a mess.
Carson Benge has been a bright spot, and there are other positives to take away from this season so far. But overall, it’s hard to deny that this team isn’t cooked this season.
They might be able to mount a bit of a comeback and avoid selling by the MLB trade deadline, but considering how mediocre this roster looks despite being so expensive, it’s hard to view the 2026 season as anything other than a disaster.
Schoenfield believes that the Mets are “absolutely” cooked this season. It’s a brutal verdict, and it might be a little early for such a strong statement. But there’s no denying that, as of now, it’s hard to think otherwise with how awful 2026 has been for the Mets.