The MLB 2026 season is halfway done, and the New York Mets are currently ranked last in the NL East with a 34-44 record. But as per their chief of baseball operations, David Stearns, there’s still time to rebound. They are currently seven games behind the final NL Wild Card spot, and even if Francisco Lindor’s impending return could be considered as a boost, the team’s failing pitching and growing IL are too heavy to be lifted by Lindor singlehandedly.

Stearns is still optimistic, but served with a reality check by the New York Post’s Dan Martin.

“The clock is ticking,” Martin said on Stearns’ remarks about Steve Cohen looking to get better results out of this roster.

“I think Steve wants us to, certainly, be better than we are,” Stearns said. “He’s frustrated. We’re all frustrated. Steve expects us to do better than this. I expect us to be better than this. He, like me, is gonna withhold judgment on a trade deadline strategy til have to make a decision closer to that time”

After April, the Mets were standing with an MLB-worst 10-21 record through 31 games. Fans were expecting a hard-line approach from Stearns towards the coaching staff. But Stearns took a different stand. “We know our record is not what we want, and we know we are capable of more,” Stearns said back then. “We don’t view this as a manager problem, and we don’t intend to make a change.” But the Mets’ freefall continued.

The Mets are currently standing 8-11 in June, and contrary to Stearns’ belief, nothing changed. The team still stays in the bottom five in terms of average (.231) and runs (317). New additions like Bo Bichette are yet to get back their rhythm, hitting only .251 so far. So, just when Stearns is saying, “We’re going to continue to give this team time to prove that we can get back in this in a very legitimate sense,” insiders wonder by when this comeback will be possible. The league is halfway done, and the Mets are still at the bottom. Clock is surely ticking for a comeback.

Lindor coming back could be a source of motivation for the Mets’ president. But before hitting the IL, Lindor was only hitting .226 with 2 homers. Thus, it is highly unlikely that Lindor would be at his best upon his return. Still, we wonder if Stearns meant to bet on his existing roster till the end rather than going for some trade deadline targets. New York already had a rough offseason, leaving up names like Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, and the Mets repeating the same at the deadline is highly likely.

The Mets’ pitching, though, has no chance to survive till October without some trade help.

The Mets’ pitching staff needs urgent replenishment

Despite his confidence in the overall roster, even Stearns couldn’t help but acknowledge the Mets’ pitching struggle. “We clearly have been inconsistent in that facet of the game. We’ve been inconsistent at various times in all segments of the team. It’s why we have the record we have,” Stearns said. The rotation consistently falls short of providing five innings, which rapidly depletes the bullpen. Result? The lack of depth has created a trickle-down effect, limiting how frequently relievers can be used and leading to bloated ERAs across the staff.

The Mets are even forced to demote Kodai Senga to the bullpen. After posting a dreadful 10.08 ERA and a 0-6 record through seven starts, Senga was moved to the bullpen. He struggled heavily with walks and home runs, never finding his footing after returning from lumbar spine inflammation. Other key pitchers, including Sean Manaea and David Peterson, have struggled to deliver the steady, reliable performances the team expected, contributing to a prolonged stretch of sloppy games and blowouts.

With names like Tarik Skubal rumored to be a trade piece by the deadline, the Mets could have a reliable veteran at the start. However, they had some marquee names in the offseason and still let them go. More than the players, Stearns might have one last chance to prove his worth by this deadline.