May was brutal for the New York Mets. They limped to a dismal 26-34 record. The team currently sits 14 games behind the Atlanta Braves. A recent four-game winning streak offered a brief glimmer of hope. They swept the Miami Marlins and beat the Cincinnati Reds.
However, reality quickly set in. A 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners snapped the streak.
ESPN recently labeled the Mets the biggest losers of May. They painted a grim picture of the franchise.
“Their current four-game winning streak is not enough to mask the reality that the 2026 Mets have been a bad team, not just an underperforming one,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez pointed out.
The Offseason Overhaul Backfires
GettyBo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the MLB game at Chase Field.
Front office executives took a massive gamble this past winter. They shipped out homegrown talent. Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo left New York. Edwin Diaz packed his bags.
“This offseason saw them part ways with fan favorites in an effort to rid themselves of the stench from last year’s collapse — only to be even worse,” Gonzalez wrote.
They brought in high-priced veterans. The strategy failed spectacularly. The new additions look lost at the plate. The team lacks energy.
The offense has spent much of the spring near the bottom of the league. On May 9, New York ranked 29th in runs, 26th in homers, tied for 28th in average, 29th in on-base percentage and last in slugging.
The Expectations Were High for Bo Bichette
GettyBo Bichette of the New York Mets looks on against the Chicago Cubs.
Bo Bichette embodies the offensive struggles. The Mets expected a superstar when they acquired him.
New York agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with Bichette. The contract carries a $42 million average annual value and includes opt-outs after the first and second seasons.
Bichette earned his payday with a strong 2025 season in Toronto. He hit .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs in 139 games, recording a .357 on-base percentage, .483 slugging percentage and .840 OPS.
He also finished the year with 44 doubles, which showed the kind of all-fields damage the Mets were buying.
That kind of money comes with a clear expectation. But he fell short.
Bo Bichette’s Alarming Regression
GettyFrancisco Lindor #12 and Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets look on against the Chicago Cubs.
Bichette looks broken at the plate. He sports a disappointing .216 batting average through 60 games. The 28-year-old has hit just five home runs. He has driven in only 28 runs. His OPS sits at a low .574 mark and strikes out at an alarming rate.
General managers avoid absorbing massive deals for underperforming players. Nobody wants an expensive shortstop hitting near the Mendoza Line.
Bichette must fundamentally change his approach. He needs to improve his pitch recognition immediately. The two-time All-Star must stop chasing breaking balls outside the zone.
Bo Bichette Is Not the Only Problem.
GettyFrancisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets reacts against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley.
The roster features several aging, expensive players. Marcus Semien hits just .228 with a .630 OPS. Jorge Polanco sits on the injured list. Luis Robert Jr. struggles to stay consistent. Francisco Lindor remains sidelined on the 10-day injured list.
These massive contracts paralyze the franchise. Rival executives show zero interest in taking on these salaries. The Mets remain stuck with this core group. They have no financial flexibility.
The current situation offers few solutions.
June just started, but the season feels lost. The Mets cannot simply buy their way out of this mess. Their payroll limits future flexibility. They must rely on internal improvements.
The Underlying Metrics Say There Is Still a Path Back
This is not purely a lost-bat story. His 2026 wOBA is .260, while his expected wOBA is .330. He has averaged 90.9 mph in exit velocity and has produced a 45.5% hard-hit rate. Those are not star-level totals, but they are better than the box score suggests.
Bichette needs contact quality and authority. He needs more damage on pitches in the zone. He needs to start making hard contact again. The Mets need his bat to anchor the lineup.
Bichette’s current production cripples the entire offense. He needs the line to move closer to the 2025 version of himself.
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