The New York Mets are a mess right now, and things went from bad to worse on Friday in a 12-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Not only did starting pitcher Kodai Senga get rocked by the Cubs, but the loss also extended the Mets’ current losing streak to nine consecutive games.
It is a problem.
Because nine-game losing streaks typically ruin seasons.
Mets’ losing streak could already be sinking season
It might still only be the first month of the season, but history is not kind to teams that have this sort of stretch at any point in the year.
Going back to 1898, only nine teams have ever had a nine-game losing streak and managed to still make the playoffs in that season (via Baseball-Reference StatHead Database).
The most recent example was the 2025 Cleveland Guardians, who were able to overcome a 10-game losing streak to win the American League Central with 88 wins.
It can be done. And with an expanded playoff field, it does make it a little bit easier to overcome that sort of streak and still get in. But it’s still not likely. Especially in a division like the National League East, where you would imagine the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are going to get things going.
The problem for the Mets is that there is not one thing holding them back right now.
Senga and David Peterson have struggled out of the rotation.
They are not hitting well as a team, with pretty much every new addition off to a slow start. Add in the injury to Juan Soto, and there is simply not enough offense.
Maybe things get better when Soto returns.
Maybe newcomers like Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semein and Luis Robert Jr. start hitting more.
But all of that is going to have to start happening soon, or else the Mets might put themselves into a situation where they get into too deep a hole, too early, that is too much to climb out of.