The New York Mets' latest loss to the Cleveland Guardians wasn't just painful -- it was borderline humiliating.
On Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field, the Mets were nearly no-hit until Juan Soto's solo homer in the ninth spared them that indignity.
But the 4-1 loss completed a frustrating home sweep, and it served as a stinging reminder of where the real problem lies: the bats.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza didn't sugarcoat the issue after the game. He addressed the team and publicly challenged the offense.
According to Mendoza, the hitters are showing a lack of "conviction" and failing to make adjustments when pitchers expose their weaknesses.
He refused to criticize the coaching staff, pointing instead to poor execution and suggesting an absence of urgency from the players themselves.
"The number one thing is understanding we're going through it right now," Mendoza said. "But we need to turn the switch."
Mendoza's words weren't angry -- but they carried weight. It wasn't just a manager defending his guys; it was a wake-up call.
The Mets have now dropped eight of their last nine games, hitting just .190 during that stretch -- a brutal, unsustainable skid.
This isn't just a short slump; it's become a pattern, and it's tanking a team that actually has solid starting pitching right now.
Their rotation has done its job. The bullpen, once a liability, has settled in. But the lineup? It's vanishing when it matters most.
The near no-hitter was only the latest indignity. The Guardians' Gavin Williams carved them up with ease for eight no-hit innings.
With Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Juan Soto on the roster, this offense should not be this lifeless.
Soto at least showed a pulse with his homer, but even he hasn't looked like the consistent force the Mets paid for lately.
Alonso has battled inconsistency. Lindor's cold stretches keep getting longer. Nimmo hasn't found his groove in weeks.
And the younger hitters, like Brett Baty, continue to struggle without showing signs of meaningful development or improvement.
While the Mets are stuck in neutral, the Philadelphia Phillies are hitting the gas, building distance in the NL East standings.
Time is no longer a luxury. Every loss tightens the rope, especially when division rivals keep stacking wins.
It's not too late for the Mets to get hot -- but the clock is now ticking louder than ever in Flushing.
Mendoza emphasized that the team's game-planning is solid, but knowledge means little without adaptation or adjustment in real time.
In baseball, knowing a pitch is coming and doing something with it are two entirely different challenges.
It's like having a GPS and still driving into a ditch -- you had the info, but didn't apply it when it mattered.
The Mets hitters have to trust their approach, make quicker in-game reads, and -- above all -- compete with urgency.
The team's only realistic shot at turning things around is for its stars to remember they are stars and start hitting like it.
This isn't about small tweaks anymore. It's about pride, confidence, and delivering when the team needs them most.
Baseball is a marathon, yes, but this Mets lineup has been limping since June. It's time to sprint.
The rotation can't carry this team forever, and Mendoza knows it. So do the fans. So should the hitters.