Carlos Mendoza entered the season under heavy scrutiny, with questions surrounding his future in Queens. While the New York Mets have struggled to find consistency, he has continued to receive strong backing from the front office. Ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins, Mendoza also earned support from a franchise icon. During a pregame ceremony honoring Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine as the newest inductees into the Mets Hall of Fame, Mazzilli used part of his speech to publicly voice his confidence in Mendoza.

“To Carlos Mendoza, you got this,” said Mazzilli, per SNY.

Out of his 14-year-long MLB career, Mazzilli spent eight-plus seasons with the Mets in two separate stints. He debuted with the Mets in 1976, and he spent his first six MLB seasons in Queens. Mazzilli also became an All-Star in 1979. He returned to the Mets in 1986 mid-season and went on to win the World Series. The Mets veteran played a crucial pinch-hitting role in the 1986 team.

However, Mazzilli’s encouragement to Mendoza comes from one manager to another. He managed the Baltimore Orioles from 2004 to 2005. Mazzilli also coached the eventual World Series winner, the New York Yankees, in 2000. So, amid the Mets’ struggles, Mazzilli’s backing of Mendoza holds value.

After a late-season disaster in 2025, the Mets, led by Mendoza, finished 83-79, killing their playoff chances. This season, despite having new players like Bo Bichette at his disposal, Mendoza led the team to a terrible funk. Within the first month, the Mets went on a 12-game losing streak and finished April with a dismal 7-19 record. But the Mets have been on the road to recovery since early May.

In the 26 games they played so far in May 2026, the Mets have dropped 12. They are slashing .226/.296/.361 with a .657 OPS this month. However, the Mets have dropped their last two series against the Reds and the Marlins. The last time they met, the Marlins swept them, limiting them to only two runs in the three-game set (2-1, 4-1, 4-0).

However, it would not be a repetition this time; the Mets have started the latest face-off with a 9-7 win. With Friday’s win, they have improved to 24-33 and are 7 games behind the NL Wild Card spot.

But the win did not come easy, as the Mets blew a four-run lead before MJ Melendez’s two-run shot in the tenth broke the tie to record the extra-innings win. Mark Vientos’ costly throwing error at first base helped Otto Lopez reach base in the fifth inning while Mack scored. In the next at-bat, Lopez scored, chipping away at the Mets’ 6-4 lead. But ultimately, the Mets rallied to secure the Friday-night game.

As the Mets continue to navigate through a tough season, manager Mendoza put one of his players under scrutiny after a blowout loss.

Carlos Mendoza called out David Peterson

The Mets are in a position where every game counts. They don’t have space for mistakes, especially terrible ones like David Peterson. During their first 7-2 blowout loss against the Cincinnati Reds, Peterson made a mental mistake. He forgot one of the basic rules of baseball during a wild pitch. Peterson did not protect the home plate. Following his error, Mendoza called out Peterson.

“You hate to see it, obviously. It can’t happen, especially at this level,” Mendoza reportedly stated. “Physical mistakes are going to happen, but mental mistakes, especially when you’re not playing well.”

After a dominant 2025 season, the Mets signed Peterson again on a 1-year, $8.1 million deal. Last season, he posted a 9-6 record and a 4.22 ERA over 30 starts. However, on Tuesday, he had one of his worst outings this season. In the five innings he threw, Peterson allowed 14 players to reach base. This season, Peterson holds a 3-5 record in 12 outings. He has posted a 5.57 ERA with a 2.30 K/BB ratio so far in 2026.