Should Mets’ Carlos Mendoza be on the hot seat?

Twenty scoreless innings later, it might be time to talk about Carlos Mendoza.

This following his New York Mets losing 4-0 to the defending World Series champion Dodgers in Los Angeles on Monday night. The team registered just three hits on the evening, making LA lefty Justin Wrobleski look like an ace. Contrastingly, David Peterson’s struggles continued as he surrendered four runs in five innings.

We should also note that the last time the Mets scored a run was when Jorge Polanco homered against the Athletics…on Saturday. AND in an 11-6 loss.

Cut to the Mets losing six straight and sitting last in the NL East, and we have to ask the question: Has Carlos Mendoza lost the team?

In fairness to Mendoza, the Mets’ struggles can’t all be pinned on him. It’s not the manager’s fault that Juan Soto got off to a hot start before going down with a calf injury. Nor can Mendoza be blamed for Marcus Semien aging, or Francisco Lindor making mistakes in the field.

Let’s also give the Mets some grace because, not that it’s an excuse, but Pete Alonso jumping ship to Baltimore left a hole in the lineup. A hole that’s yet to be filled by anyone early in the season.

However, any manager’s job every season, for the post part, is always the same. Win with the team you have in front of you. And it’s not as though David Stearns hasn’t been active, having brought in two former Brewers players he developed: closer Devin Williams and ace Freddy Peralta.

It’s now when we come to one of my favorite, albeit one of the more begrudging, lessons in all sports: If it’s not the talent? It’s the coaching.

Look at the Detroit Tigers, for example. They lost 91 games under team legend Alan Trammel in 2005. He was fired and Jim Leyland took over, having last managed the Rockies in 1999. The Tigers won 95 games and the AL Pennant in 2006, losing the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.

We can also look to the current New York Knicks’ revival. Leon Rose’s front office hired Tom Thibodeau during the pandemic for one reason: Change the culture. Establish a system. Have accountability. Build a team with an actual identity and model for sustained success.

The Knicks were back in the playoffs in his first season, and made their first Eastern Conference Finals since 1999 last year. And, of course, Thibs fell into his old habit of shrinking his rotation and tiring out his starters. He was let go, the Knicks hired Mike Brown, and look a more complete team headed into the postseason.

Now, let’s take a look at the Mets. On paper, aside from Soto and Lindor, and maybe Bo Bichette? This is a talented lineup, with Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez showing some power potential. Even Carson Benge and Mark Vientos have some runway too.

Except Baty has yet to hit a home run after slugging a career-high 18 last season. Benge is looking more and more like the Mets’ version of Anthony Volpe, a high-potential prospect who debuted too soon. Vientos slugged 27 homers in 2024, has regressed ever since, and is currently 0 for his last 20 with six strikeouts and no walks.

Keep in mind that none of this is to tar and feather Carlos Mendoza as a crappy manager. The Mets rallied their way to the NLCS in his first season. Even in missing the playoffs last year, the team still upped its wRC+ to 112 from 107 the previous season.

But anyone with eyes can see that with or without Juan Soto, this New York Mets team looks stuck. Some might say the squad looks as though it’s trudging through water. A 26th-ranked wRC+ of 85 doesn’t inspire a ton of hope.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the Mets’ fate is sealed. Far from it. Baty will eventually find his power. Lindor will find his bat and glove again. Soto was hitting .353 before getting hurt and will start mashing soon if he’s healthy.

Even so, this is some ugly baseball from the New York Mets. Carlos Mendoza isn’t in over his head, but certainly hasn’t done anything to prove he’s “the guy” in Flushing. Almost worse is that even if he has lost the team, would a midseason managerial change even matter? Carlos Beltran is in the front office, sure, but he’s probably too busy being an incoming Hall-of-Famer this year.

That means the Mets and their fans have two choices: hope things change, or just ride out the rest of the season. And then maybe we can have the Mendoza conversation again.