1 head that'll roll if the NY Mets miss the playoffs, 1 that'll spin even if they do

In baseball, justice comes without a gavel, but the New York Mets coaching staff could soon find themselves on trial. The evidence is stacked high: rallies wasted, runners marooned, and clutch situations turned into crime scenes. Fans, serving as both jury and executioner, are already restless. If justice is coming for this season, the coaching staff is always the first to walk to the gallows.

The first name on the docket is hitting coach Eric Chavez, whose offense has been guilty of missing in the game’s biggest moments. But he’s not alone. Even if the Mets reach October, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh has some explaining to do. His traffic calls have ranged from reckless sends to puzzling holds, and too many runs have died at his signal. When the axe finally swings, their names will be first on the list.

The Mets can chase October all they want, but Eric Chavez and Mike Sarbaugh are standing before the jury.

The Mets’ struggles with runners in scoring position have been nothing short of criminal. Heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Braves, they carried the 8th worst batting average in MLB with RISP at a paltry .244. That stat only worsened as they dropped a 4-3 nail-biter, going 1-for-9 when it mattered most. Add in 22 one-run losses this season and the fact they have yet to rally from a ninth-inning deficit, and the evidence against this staff grows harder to ignore. Every stranded runner is a witness to failure, and fans have taken note, scribbling down a growing list of offenses.

Hitting coach Eric Chavez has been squarely in the spotlight. A stretch from July 28 through August 10 reads like a prosecutor’s highlight reel: the Mets went 1-11 while posting an MLB-worst .201 batting average and .621 OPS, along with the second-worst OBP at .281. They even came within one out of being no-hit by Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams. So persistent were the failures that GM David Stearns found himself answering questions about whether Chavez should face the firing squad. In the Queens courtroom, the case against him is damning.

Third base coach Mike Sarbaugh has faced nonstop criticism from Mets fans all season for his questionable sends and holds, with two plays standing out as prime examples. In the bottom of the ninth against the Guardians, Tyreon Taylor was on first when Francisco Lindor doubled to right field. Sarbaugh held him at third—what would have been the games winning run went unscored, and the Mets eventually lost in extra innings.

On August 8 against the Brewers, Starling Marte was thrown out at home on a Jeff McNeil single, and most recently against the Mariners, Lindor was gunned down at home on another questionable send. Even when the bats show up, Sarbaugh’s choices have left the outcome hanging by a thread, frustrating supporters' week after week. The spotlight on third base keeps growing, and every hold or send is being dissected under a fanbase microscope.

For the Mets, the courtroom of the 2025 season is still in session. Eric Chavez’s failures with the bats make him the obvious first name on the chopping block if October slips away, while Mike Sarbaugh’s brain-teasing decisions at third base ensure he’ll be spinning in the spotlight no matter the outcome. In Queens, verdicts are swift, and the jury—relentless fans—might have already made up their minds.