Mets’ September slide exposes inconsistency as playoff chances remain likely

Despite a season that has tilted downward since a near-perfect start, the Mets appear headed for the National League playoffs but must cure their inconsistency to have a meaningful October.

The New York Mets entered September with an outlook that still looked favorable for postseason baseball, but a jarring stretch this week underscored just how fragile that position has become. Manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged the team’s uneven play Thursday, saying “There’s a lot to like, but there’s also room for improvement. We’ve been inconsistent,” after the club’s 5-1 loss to the Miami Marlins at Citi Field.

"The most obvious piece of good news for the Mets is they’ll almost surely still make the National League playoffs despite a season tilting decidedly downward since a near-perfect start that seems like a dream now," a New York Post analysis noted, arguing that the Mets’ standing still gives them a path to October even as their form has ebbed and flowed. That assessment was framed by a roughly two-week sequence in which the Mets looked dominant one moment and vulnerable the next: a three-game sweep of first-place Philadelphia was followed by a stretch in which New York lost three of four to Miami, a team the Post described as a particular thorn in the Mets’ side.

The 5-1 defeat to the Marlins highlighted several recurring problems for New York, including uneven run production and lapses in timely hitting. The loss also came amid minor controversy over PitchCom — the electronic pitching-calling device that has attracted attention around the league — with reports noting that the Marlins had more trouble with the system than the Mets’ staff during the series at Citi Field.

While the Mets’ early-season surge — described in multiple outlets as “near-perfect” — established a cushion in the standings, the club’s inability to sustain that level of play has prompted questions about depth and consistency across a long season. New York’s rotation and bullpen have shown flashes of reliability, but the week-to-week swings in offensive output and defensive execution have made the Mets vulnerable to teams playing with greater steadiness.

Mendoza, who has shepherded the roster through injuries and lineup changes this season, has repeatedly emphasized process over panic. After the series loss to Miami he stressed the need for more consistent at-bats and cleaner innings from the pitching staff. Those prescriptions mirror concerns raised by analysts in recent coverage: that the Mets must stabilize performance across the board to avoid an early October exit should they advance.

A notable piece of optimism for New York is the improbability of facing certain troublesome opponents in a postseason matchup. The Post pointed out that Washington and Miami — two teams that have given the Mets trouble this season — will not be among their potential October opponents, a detail that simplifies some strategic considerations for the Mets’ front office and coaching staff. Still, the schedule ahead includes divisional rivals and potential wild-card contenders who are capable of exploiting the Mets’ current inconsistencies.

New York’s season has featured both signature moments and confounding stretches. The sweep of the Phillies signaled the team’s ceiling: timely hitting, solid pitching and defensive execution combined to neutralize a division leader. But that high was quickly followed by the low against Miami, where the Mets’ offense failed to sustain rallies and the pitching staff surrendered key runs in close innings. Those swings illustrate a pattern that has emerged all season: the Mets can look elite on a given night and ordinary the next.

The club’s standing in the National League appears secure enough that the playoff conversation remains central. Yet postseason baseball — with its short series and high leverage — typically rewards teams that enter October playing steady, mistake-free ball. For the Mets, that will require a sequence of adjustments: reducing the margin for defensive errors, improving situational hitting, and tightening late-inning relief work. Those needs have been echoed internally by team leaders and externally by coverage, with a shared emphasis on restoring a baseline level of play rather than relying on streaks.

Injuries and roster management have also been factors across the season, shaping Mendoza’s lineup decisions and the deployment of bullpen arms. The club’s medical and coaching staff have managed several day-to-day issues, and how those elements evolve over the next few weeks could influence the Mets’ October trajectory. A healthier, more consistent roster would limit the variability that has defined recent weeks.

The Mets have upcoming games that will test their ability to regain footing and build momentum heading into the postseason. Each series presents a chance to reestablish the standards that produced their strong start. For fans and front-office decision makers alike, the immediate objective is clear: eliminate the streakiness and demonstrate the kind of sustained performance that has separated contenders from pretenders throughout the major-league season.

Mendoza, veterans on the roster and the organization’s analytics staff will be pressed to find a balance between short-term fixes and long-term strategy as the calendar turns toward October. The club’s postseason fate may ultimately hinge less on a single move than on whether New York can deliver consistent contributions from its rotation and lineup over the final weeks of the regular season.

While the Mets’ path to October is far from closed, the team’s recent swingy performance serves as a reminder that regular-season standing does not automatically translate into postseason success. The coming days will provide a clearer picture of whether the Mets can steady their play and enter the playoffs as a team capable of advancing beyond the opening rounds.