The Mets' 20-13 Skid Is Getting Ugly and Nobody's Talking About How Bad Things Really Are

Alright, Emerald City, let's talk some baseball, even if it ain't our boys on the field. You remember back at the start of the season when the New York Mets were talking World Series? Yeah, me too. Fast forward to May 23, 2026, 51 games into this campaign, and those World Series dreams are looking less like a dream and more like a nightmare. These dudes are scrapping just to get out of last place in the NL East, and honestly, it’s getting rough to watch.

The Mets' World Series Pipe Dream

Can we talk about the slide? The Mets got knocked back into the basement Friday night, losing a tight 2-1 battle to the Miami Marlins. That's a gut punch, especially since they'd only just climbed out of last place for the first time since April 28. This isn't a one-off, either. They've lost three of their last four games, getting absolutely hammered and outscored a painful 20-13 in that brutal stretch. Manager Carlos Mendoza is out here trying to spin it, saying you "take the positives" and "it's not what you want as far as the results," but come on. This squad was 13 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves heading into Saturday. The numbers are screaming, folks. It's tough to marry a productive offense with effective pitching, and it's killing them. Yeah, they had a decent run earlier where they went 6-1 and outscored teams 53-29, but that feels like ancient history now with Freddy Peralta, who's 3-3 with a 3.31 ERA, on the mound for them Saturday.

Marlins' Defensive Masterclass Keeps Them Afloat

Now, don't get it twisted, the Marlins aren't exactly setting the world on fire either. They've got their own consistency issues, only winning consecutive games once this whole month, with an 8-13 record. But man, did they show up Friday. That 2-1 win over the Mets? That lifted them into fourth place, pushing the Mets right back to the bottom. Credit where credit's due: their pitching and defense absolutely saved their bacon. Eury Perez and a few relievers combined for a three-hitter. And we gotta shout out Jakob Marsee, their center fielder, who made some highlight-reel catches. He robbed Mets leadoff hitter Carson Benge with a running catch and then a leaping catch later on. When you win 2-1, you need that kind of magic, as Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said: "To win games like that 2-1, you generally are going to need a little bit of luck on your side and also are going to have to make some plays." Max Meyer, for the Marlins, who's 4-0 with a 2.85 ERA, is slated to start Saturday, coming off a 6-inning, 3-hit, scoreless gem against the Braves earlier this week. So, the Mets and Marlins face off again Saturday afternoon in game two of their series. For the Mets, it’s about trying to escape the NL East basement, for real this time. For the Marlins, it’s about building on that defensive effort and trying to find some consistency in their 8-13 May. It's a battle to see who avoids that last-place indignity. Meanwhile, back in the real world, our Mariners just shut out the Kansas City Royals, 2-0! Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez leading the charge for the good guys. Keep that M's energy going, 12s!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.