The biggest mid-season collapse ever?

Only three things are guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and the New York Mets choking. They were coming off an ALCS appearance and signed Juan Soto to a $765 million contract in the 2025 off-season. Adding Soto to the Mets on paper would make them look like they would have the best lineup in the entire MLB. Mets fans’ hopes were high going into the 2025 season, and it looked like the front office was willing to do anything to take that next step to win. But what happened during that upcoming season was nothing short of a classic Mets collapse.

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Through April, the Mets had a record of 19-8 and a 4.5-game lead for first in the NL East. Pete Alonso was playing at an MVP level with a batting average of .349, six home runs, and 25 RBIs. Francisco Lindor also started on fire with a batting average of .339, six home runs, and 15 RBIs. But Soto was having a very underwhelming first month. He had a below-average .232 batting average, a minuscule two home runs, and only 10 RBIs.

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Soto was showing zero hustle, and some fans started speculating whether he even wanted to be on the team. He was looking like one of the worst signings ever. He was one of the Mets’ worst hitters, and his defense certainly couldn’t make up for his hitting. Still, some, even though fans were disappointed with his performance so far, saw this as a slump and were hopeful he could bounce back.

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However, in May, the Mets would take a slight step back. They would have a 15-12 record in May and an overall 25-18 record through the first two months. That record would be good enough to be sitting in second place, only two games behind the Braves. The Mets’ key hitters also took a step back in May. Alonso and Lindor went from MVP level to above league average in hitting categories. Alonso would have a batting average of .234, four home runs, and 15 RBIs. Lindor would have a batting average of .255, six home runs, and 17 RBIs. These aren’t bad stats, but compared to their hot start in April, they certainly took a step back. However, Soto continued to struggle at the plate. His batting average dropped to .219, but he still hit six home runs. Mets fans grew tired of Soto, and a majority began to question whether he was worth the money.

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June would be the month Soto would silence his doubters. In 23 games, he would put up a .323 batting average, 10 home runs, and 18 RBIs. He was finally looking like vintage Juan Soto. On June 12, the Mets would have the best record in baseball. But the team as a whole suffered greatly. The Mets would finish the month 12-15 and would also get swept by the Pirates, one of the worst teams in the league. The Mets’ rotation would be decimated by injuries.

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July would be a better month for the Mets. They would sweep the Yankees in the Subway Series and had a record of 14-10 in the month. But once again, Soto would struggle in the month. The month of June would seem like a fluke, but as the trade deadline approached, the Mets would be looking to go all in.

This is where I think they went completely wrong. The Mets would go out and trade for a 30-year-old Cedric Mullins, who was having a down year and was in the final year of his contract. Mets fans would love this trade for now, but they would end up trading away two top 30 prospects in their farm system.

They didn’t trade for Mullins because of his hitting abilities. He was considered one of the best defensive center fielders in the game, and so far that season, he was. But after the Mets traded for him, it would seem like all his talent at center field just disappeared. He would constantly make mistakes that would cost them runs and sometimes even blow games. This trade turned out to be one of the worst moves at the deadline and made them a worse team.

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Another trade that went wrong was the Mets’ acquisition of Ryan Helsley. Ryan led the league in saves with 49, and this would look like a spectacular trade for them. However, they did end up giving their 8th- and 22nd-ranked prospects. With this trade, Mets fans would consider this the last piece they needed to win the World Series. But it would be the complete opposite of that. Ryan had an ERA of 11.45 and only one save with the Mets. He would also be a big reason for the collapse of the Mets’ season. Instead of being the clutch reliever he was known to be, he had more blown saves than saves for the Mets. And it only got worse.

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The Mets would also go out and trade for another relief pitcher, Tyler Rodgers. They would end up giving up another two top 15 prospects in their farm system. Even though Rodgers was solid for them, it wasn’t enough to stop the eventual collapse of the team.

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These moves were absolutely abysmal and were the nail in the coffin for the Mets. From when they had the best record in the MLB, they were only able to win 38 games and finished with a record of 83-79. Not only did they not win the World Series, but they didn’t even make the playoffs.

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Soto was able to finish strong, though, and recorded the most home runs in his career. But now the Mets need to worry about Pete Alonso leaving. He was arguably the best player they had that season. Right after the Mets got eliminated, Alonso said he would be testing free agency. Losing him would be a massive blow to the organization and would cause it to lose the trust of Mets fans.

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This season left fans confused because you can’t blame the general manager for trying to trade for these elite players when they don’t work out. I think this is the pitching staff’s fault for ruining Ryan Helsley. When he went to New York, people noticed that his mechanics became inconsistent. I also blame the organization’s overall coaching. They have these great players, yet were only able to finish four games over .500 and 2nd place in the NL East. I also understand the Mets had significant injuries to key players, but the team’s and their hitters’ inconsistency is just ridiculous. If something doesn’t change with the coaching staff for the upcoming season, Mets fans could expect another choke job for the 2026 season.

Grant Bodendorf is a junior member of the Multimedia Journalism class.

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Grant Bodendorf

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