The Mets and the Tigers are 2 of the top 10 teams when it comes to payroll. And with a big payroll comes big expectations. But with the Mets sitting at 31-38 and the Tigers sitting at 29-41, there are many answers that the team is searching for. And one former manager thinks that things might get even worse.

“Well, first of all, you can’t compound the problem. You gotta be a consistent personality… if you’re going like this with your emotions, that’s how your team is going to play… You know, what makes a really good manager is really good players,” said former Mets manager Buck Showalter while talking about the Mets and the Tigers.

Buck Showalter has always had a simple view of managing. The former Mets manager says that a good manager usually has good players. He even joked that he became smarter when his teams had better talent. When those players disappeared, he said he suddenly looked much less intelligent, because the team started to lose.

As the Mets continue struggling through 2026, those comments feel especially relevant.

Showalter’s point was never meant to protect managers from criticism. Instead, it highlighted how much success depends on what players produce on the field.

Baseball history supports that idea. Many championship managers like Dave Roberts and Joe McCarthy were backed by rosters filled with stars like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Babe Ruth, and Joe DiMaggio.

That is where the current Mets continue running into problems.

The Mets entered mid-June with a 30-38 record and sat at the bottom of the NL East, and are also 5.5 games behind a Wild Card spot. Those numbers are not the result of one bad week.

They reflect months of inconsistency from a roster that has struggled to perform together all season. Outside of Juan Soto, very few hitters have consistently carried their share of the load.

Soto has largely done his part. Entering June, he had a .287 batting average and hit 13 home runs. The problem is that several key teammates have not produced at similar levels.

Marcus Semien entered the month hitting .216 with a .598 OPS. Mark Vientos was batting .218 with a .630 OPS. When two everyday players struggle that much, the pressure quickly spreads throughout the lineup.

Those struggles have shown up in the field as well.

During the Mets’ loss to Seattle, Semien committed a costly throwing error that helped create a run. Later in the same inning, Vientos misplayed a ball that extended the damage. The mistakes became part of an 8-3 loss that manager Carlos Mendoza described as “sloppy.”

It was not an isolated incident but another example of problems that have followed the team throughout the season.

The losses become even harder to ignore when looking at games that the Mets had in their hands, but let slip.

The Mets lost a 4-3 extra-inning game against the Pirates after a late mistake from Francisco Lindor. They dropped a 2-1 extra-inning game against the Cubs during their losing streak.

They were swept by the Rockies while scoring only 1 run across a doubleheader. A late collapse against the Nationals and a momentum-killing loss to the Marlins only added to the frustration.

That is why placing all the blame on Mendoza misses a larger issue. Managers can make decisions, but they cannot hit, field, or throw for their players.

Showalter’s comments were not complicated. Teams win when enough players perform. Right now, the Mets simply have not had enough players doing that consistently, and the standings continue reflecting that reality. And if the players don’t perform, the Mets are not going to get any better than they are now.

And the same is true for the Detroit Tigers as well.

After the Mets, Showalter had the same to say to the Detroit Tigers

Buck Showalter‘s comments about the Mets and the Tigers are just the same. The former manager has often said that managers look much smarter when players perform.

That was the point he made recently while discussing Detroit’s situation. Showalter argued against trading Tarik Skubal and reminded everyone how difficult it is to find a player of his caliber.

“You’re always looking for that guy, and you’ve got him,” Showalter said.

The Tigers’ problems this season have not started with Skubal. Detroit entered June sitting at 22-38 despite carrying playoff expectations into the year after getting so close to the ALCS in 2025.

But this season, the club has struggled to find consistency from day one. Some nights, the offense disappears. Other nights, the pitching staff cannot keep games under control.

That inconsistency has become one of the biggest reasons behind Detroit’s disappointing start.

The offense has been a major issue throughout the season. Riley Greene has continued producing and entered June as one of Detroit’s most reliable hitters. He has an average of .301 with 8 homers.

But players Zach McKinstry entered the month hitting .173, while Wenceel Perez carried a .162 batting average. Too often, rallies have ended before they ever had a chance to develop.

The injury situation has only made those struggles more difficult to overcome.

Tarik Skubal missed time with elbow concerns, and Justin Verlander also landed on the IL. Reese Olson, Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres, and Parker Meadows have all dealt with injuries. And the pitching staff has felt those absences.

Framber Valdez, who was signed to strengthen the rotation, saw his ERA rise to 4.58 after another difficult outing against Cleveland. With no offense to back him, even a decent game by the pitchers is starting to look bad.

That brings the conversation back to Skubal. While many expect Detroit to explore a trade, Showalter believes moving him carries more risk than reward.

He pointed out that many blockbuster trades fail to get impact from the talent that teams expect.

“The world’s full of those four or five for ones,” Showalter said. For him, Detroit’s struggles are tied more to injuries and inconsistent performances than the presence of its ace. That is why he believes the Tigers should think carefully before parting with one of baseball’s best pitchers.