What Happened to the Mets?

Every MLB offseason teams pursue free agents. Some teams go after highly ranked free agents, who are expecting an extreme salary. Others look for free agents with a lower cost that can still bring a lot to the table. This past offseason one MLB team in particular decided to sign some of the most expensive players in baseball. Now, as we approach the All-Star break, that same team, the New York Mets, rank fourth in their division.

The Mets’ payroll is currently the highest payroll in history at $344,154,676. Still, with all the money they have invested into their ball club, they hold a record of 42-48 and are 18.5 games back of their division leader, the Atlanta Braves.

Last year the Mets finished their season with 101 wins and 61 losses. This year the Mets will be lucky to be a .500 team! What has changed? New York was predicted to be a top contender in 2023. How did they go downhill so fast? Well, there are a few reasons, but the biggest factor seems to be their spending. If you are familiar with Major League Baseball, you would know that the New York Yankees have successfully “bought” a World Series title multiple times before. If the Yankees have brought home championships with the highest payroll, why can’t the Mets?

Just because you are spending the most money doesn’t mean you are getting the most for your dollar. The two highest-paid Mets players are Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Both are starting pitchers past the age of 35 but are still making $43 million a year. Neither of those players has proved to be outstanding add-ons for the Mets. The pair combines for an 11-7 record, and together have had several IL stints. Although Scherzer and Verlander’s contracts have contributed to their team’s collapse, there are various other reasons why the Mets have gone downhill. 

New York may have some big names on their team, but all of those big-name players are either in their 30s or are about to hit 30. Only four Mets players are below the age of 27. The average age of a current Mets player is 31 years old. By the time most MLB players enter their 30s, they only have a few seasons left until retirement. If that is the case for the majority of New York’s players, then by the 2030 season the Mets should have almost an entirely different team. Will New York’s 2030 team look more promising than its 2023 team? Possibly, if they have enough money to pay a team. If the Mets never recover and continue to have such a high payroll, their spending will be for nothing and they will be stuck in the middle of a rebuild. 

How can New York turn things around to prevent hitting rock bottom? Is the best solution to get rid of some of the expenses on the roster or to terminate the people who put the Mets in this disastrous position? Or could it be both? These are definitely some tough decisions Mets’ owner, Steve Cohen, will have to ponder if he plans to have a successful team.

My 14-year-old niece Callie wrote this article. She is an avid sports fan, a student of the box score, and a future sports journalist in the making. See her previous piece here. We at Belly Up Sports are proud to share this as a part of a new “Junior Reporter” feature, highlighting the future of the industry. If you would like to leave a comment or word of encouragement, find me on Twitter. I’ll pass them along to her.