In the middle of an already disastrous season, the New York Mets’ woes peaked over the span of the last seven days. They were swept by the Chicago Cubs and fired manager Carlos Mendoza. There seems to be no end to the fans’ disappointment as the team’s postseason chances appear slim. As fans continue to express their frustration, a video of a young Mets fan crying about the team has gone viral on social media. Analyst Stephen A. Smith seized the opportunity to share it and take a jab at David Stearns.

“Awwwww Damn! See what the @Mets under David Stearns has done. They’ve hurt the Children,” Smith wrote on X. “Come on over to the @Yankees kid. They may hurt you too, but at least they’d wait until October to do it instead of ruining your Summers as early as June!”

Posted originally on Instagram in April, the 5-year-old Long Islander can be seen crying in the video when he learnt that he cannot switch loyalties and become a New York Yankees supporter. It appears that he foresaw that the Mets would never recover from the 7-19 hole they fell into in April.

The sobbing boy told his father that he did not want to support the Mets, “Because I don’t want to be the worst.”

The post was originally captioned: “It was a long morning after his older brother told him we’re @mets fans no matter what,” Ezra Rudansky’s dad, Isaac, captioned the Instagram clip, which has garnered 346,000 views since.

More than a month has passed, and the Mets are now one of the worst teams in the National League. They sit nine games out of a playoff spot, and with a 35-48 record, they have yet to climb above the .500 mark.

Smith has blamed the Mets’ president of baseball operations, Stearns, for putting together an ineffective team. The Mets’ impressive offseason, both on paper and in terms of payroll, failed to translate into results on the field. Key additions Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. have been on the injured list since April with Achilles bursitis and a lumbar spine disc herniation, respectively.

Meanwhile, Bo Bichette has struggled to find his footing in Queens, hitting just .254 with a .687 OPS, well below his career averages from Toronto. Freddy Peralta has also endured a difficult campaign, posting a 5-6 record with a 4.53 ERA across 17 starts while surrendering 12 home runs, his worst season since 2020.

On Saturday, the Mets snapped their seven-game skid as they recorded a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. However, the win did virtually nothing to improve their standing, as they rank last in the NL East.

If the Mets fail to secure a playoff berth, they will end up missing October baseball for a second time in a row. Last year, despite a strong start, a mid-season downfall kept the Mets from reaching the playoffs. They finished 83-79 and second in the NL East. The Mets’ last playoff appearance came in 2024, when they were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NLCS, who went on to win the World Series.

Stephen A. Smith even jokingly suggested that the young fan become a Yankees supporter because he would not have to be disappointed early in the season. He also noted, however, that the heartbreak might come in October.

Yankees fans’ biggest regret is not seeing their favorite team win another World Series. Their last championship came in 2009, despite multiple postseason appearances since then. Last year, division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays, ended their playoff run in the ALDS.

As Smith pointed out, it’s been a tough few years for baseball fans in New York, and even changing loyalties might not bring respite. However, with Christian Scott’s IL return, the Mets appear to have found some positivity.

Christian Scott delivers a quality start on IL return

A right-hip impingement had sidelined Christian Scott from the rotation since June 11. He was on the 15-day IL. But the Mets have reinstated him, and he made his first start after the injury against the Phillies on Saturday.

The 27-year-old recorded his second win across 10 starts as he showed his capabilities on the mound. He threw an impactful 4.1 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits, issuing two walks while striking out 6.

“Really solid,” remarked interim manager Andy Green about Scott’s performance, per the New York Post. “Only had so many bullets to fire today, and he was well outside of one swing from Bryce Harper.”

The only shortcoming of his solid start was the two-run homer Bryce Harper launched on a 3-2 four-seamer from Scott. The third-inning homer gave the Phillies an early 2-0 lead that the Mets overcame in the sixth. Francisco Lindor tripled, driving in Juan Soto and Bo Bichette to tie the game.

Later in the same inning, the Mets took a 4-2 lead on A.J. Ewing’s two-run single. Bryce Harper’s home run accounted for the Phillies’ only runs, as the Mets’ relievers kept them scoreless the rest of the way.