The New York Mets just outplayed the NL East leaders in a 3-game series. And they look much better than the team that lost 12 games in a row in early April. The Mets have been going through a tough schedule lately, facing bigger opponents. But instead of leaning towards any excuses, manager Carlos Mendoza sent a wake-up call to the team.

“I’ve been saying that for us to turn this thing around, we have to start winning series consistently. It doesn’t matter the schedule or the teams,” Mendoza said after their 8-1 win against the Atlanta Braves. “It’s controlling what we can control and playing our best baseball here moving forward.”

“But without getting too far ahead, obviously, it’s one series at a time. You’ve got to turn the page and get ready for another one tomorrow.”

The Mets are still at the bottom of the NL East with a 32-39 record. But they are in much better shape than they were in the early season (10-21 at the end of April). Juan Soto’s return from injury has fueled the offense. At the same time, rookies like Carson Benge have provided solid production. Sean Manaea’s improved velocity and Christian Scott’s and Nolan McLean’s efforts offered the much-needed boost that helped the Mets recover from a 12-game losing streak. Although they have improved, consistency has remained a recurring problem.

The Mets swept the Marlins series and lost to the Mariners. They went 2-3 against the Padres, but then the Cardinals defeated them. It looks like they have been going through a pattern. That’s why Mendoza doubled down on consistency.

On paper, the Mets have been going against stronger teams, and they have toppled many of them. Their latest win against the Giants is the most significant one so far. Atlanta came to New York with a 45-23 record. Even after the series loss, they are still the No. 1 team in MLB with a better winning percentage than the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Mets won the first game 7-5, but the Braves leveled in the second with a 3-1 win. Mendoza’s boys outperformed in the rubber game, restricting Atlanta to just 1 run while scoring 8. And the way the Mets took 2 of 3 from the league leaders definitely deserves some praise.

Mendoza was happy to see the team perform well but knows that one strong series means nothing if it isn’t backed up by another. Notably, the Mets have a 6-game road trip coming up where they will face the Reds and then the Phillies. Their next four series are against stronger teams as well, and this will serve as an immediate test to Carlos Mendoza’s challenge.

Mendoza isn’t the only one pushing the players.

David Stearns delivered a similar message before the Mets’ series win over Atlanta

“We’ve got to prove that things are going to change,” David Stearns, president of baseball operations, stated after the first Braves game. “We’ve played better since April, but we still haven’t played consistently enough to dig ourselves out of a hole that we dug in April, and we’re aware of that. We have to prove it.”

The Mets were 2nd in the division with an 83-79 record last season. Yet they failed to qualify for the playoffs. The fans almost lost hope when they succumbed to a nasty 10-21 in April. Any hope for a better outcome this season was almost demolished. But the recent wins have sparked some hope even among the biggest naysayers.

Many criticized Stearns when he said, “I continue to believe we have the people in the clubhouse who are capable of doing this.”

Carlos Mendoza wants consistent series wins. And David Stearns, despite his belief, wants proof instead of promises. While the Braves series was encouraging, the Mets have to hold on to the momentum, and their next few series will determine if they can really change things up.