The New York Mets’ roster overhaul in the offseason hardly did them any good. Despite David Stearns constructing a $328 million payroll, the Mets failed to fill the voids left by Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and other veterans. They are the second-worst team in the NL and are on the cusp of a sell-off during the trade deadline. As the Mets’ postseason hopes dissipate one loss at a time, Bryce Harper took a jab at their NL East rivals for losing Pete Alonso in free agency.

“The Mets are the Mets,” Harper said on the On Base podcast with Mookie Betts, per NYM News on X. “Once they kind of got rid of Pete and all those guys, it’s just a different team, it’s a different club, right?”

After missing out on the postseason last year, the Mets did not retain their veteran core of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, and Jeff McNeil. The Mets traded Nimmo for second baseman Marcus Semien (.207 BA), who failed to create an impact at the plate. Alonso and Diaz, on the other hand, became free agents. Diaz went to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 3-year, $69 million deal, whereas Alonso is now with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles signed Alonso to a 5-year, $155 million contract that runs through the 2030 season.

To replace him in the lineup, Stearns signed Jorge Polanco, who has managed to play only 23 games so far after being sidelined with Achilles bursitis for months. His production level is also nowhere near Alonso’s.

In his time with the Mets, Alonso surpassed Darryl Strawberry, hitting 264 homers to become the Mets’ all-time career home run leader. He had also established himself as a healthy and durable lineup piece in his seven seasons with the Mets. Neither Polanco nor Bo Bichette has been able to fill Alonso’s void. According to Harper, without the ‘Polar Bear,’ the Mets are not the same. The Phillies’ veteran thinks the Mets have somehow “lost their nucleus” and are “all over the place” without the leadership Alonso or Nimmo provided.

On the podcast, Mookie Betts also asked Harper about their biggest rivals. Despite playing the Atlanta Braves frequently, Harper called the Mets their number one nemesis.

“Biggest rival…obviously we play a lot of big games against the Braves, I would say. I don’t know if they’re our rival, per se. I mean, I think the Mets,” Harper told Betts, per X handle NYM News.

The Braves (61-42) are currently at the top of the NL East while the Mets are dead last. The Phillies (56-48) rank second and hold an NL Wild Card spot after they surged towards the top under Don Mattingly.

In the nine games they played against the Mets in 2026, the Phillies hold a slight lead with a 5-4 record.

Though Harper may have marked the Mets as their biggest rivals, it’s not the team that will threaten them this season. As for the Braves? They can definitely cut the Phillies’ postseason run short.