Not too long ago, the Mets were doing well. But over 49 games since June 13th, they’ve gone 18-31—the third-worst record in baseball behind the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies. It’s a massive fall from having the bragging rights to MLB’s best record at 45-24 through June 12. And surprisingly, Steve Cohen, who usually shares his thoughts on everything from trades to wins, was quiet until now.

On Sunday, the Brewers swept them. The game ended with a gut-wrenching 7-6 walk-off loss in which a five-run lead disappeared like mist. Marking their seventh straight loss, part of an 11-in-12 free-fall.

Steve Cohen finally spoke up and texted Jon Heyman of the NY Post, shared by Metsbatflip on X. It read, “I know how vested our fans are in this team. While the team has had a difficult run, I still believe in our team and believe they will turn it around. LGM.” The message arrived when Mets Nation needed to hear from their leader.

That Sunday loss told the entire story. NYM took a 5–0 lead thanks to RBI hits from Soto, McNeil, and Mauricio, as well as homers from Baty and Mullins. But Milwaukee kept going. William Contreras hit two home runs, Joey Ortiz tied the game in the eighth, and then Isaac Collins launched a walk-off solo drive off Edwin Diaz in the ninth to end the game with a shocking 7–6 loss. Dugout frustration was clearly evident.

Manager Carlos Mendoza has been straightforward when asked about the performances. He said, “We got to go out and do it.” “We’re going to keep saying it, but the bottom line is: We got to go out and do it. … I know it’s tough right now. It’s very frustrating. We’re all very frustrated, but you got to keep going. We got to keep going. Nobody said it was going to be easy.“ His words revealed a manager’s struggle to keep the ship afloat.

The numbers paint an ugly picture. August has been a disaster for the Mets, turning their playoff preparations into a nightmare. They’ve lost 9 of their last 10 games and are now in second place in the NL East, behind the Philadelphia Phillies. A recent sweep by the Brewers has cut their lead for the final NL Wild Card spot to just 1.5 games ahead of the Reds.

So, what’s not working for the Mets? Well, their starters have been a major issue in this stretch.

Mets’ Starters can’t go deep, team falls apart

The Mets’ once-strong starting rotation has deteriorated, contributing to a troubling losing streak. Starters aren’t pitching deep into games, which overworks a bullpen that is already worn down. Consequently, the team ranks 27th in innings pitched by starters, often unable to go beyond the fifth inning.

What started as a strategy—using lesser-known pitchers identified by the Mets’ analytics team—has backfired. Sean Manaea’s four-inning outing on Sunday exemplifies this issue. He had good metrics but lacked durability. And the overworked bullpen has faced more batters and used more pitchers than almost any other team in baseball.

President David Stearns hasn’t given up and is looking for solutions. Stearns said on Friday, according to MLB.com, “I don’t think we’d close the door on anything right now,” “Especially as we get into the second half of the month, into September, where you have a little more roster flexibility, you have the extra pitcher, I think it opens up a variety of different possibilities.”

The Mets’ rotation struggles are becoming a key factor in their decline. Can they find the solution before it’s too late?