Howie Rose knows exactly who to blame for the what's wrong with the NY Mets

Not many people have watched more New York Mets games in their lives than Howie Rose, the Mets' legendary radio broadcaster. And exactly no one is more qualified to talk about them than he is. So when he sat down to speak with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on The New York Post's "The Show," about the state of the Mets, I listened.

He touched on a lot. He spoke about where this potential collapse would fall in New York Mets history, if they do miss the playoffs after holding a 45-24 record as of June 12th. He discussed Pete Alonso's future with the Mets and how free agency might unfold if the worst-case scenario were to happen. But what really caught my ear was when he was asked about the reason for such a disastrous 2nd half. It's not a reality Mets fans will want to hear about their current core of stars they've grown to love, but it may be a reality nonetheless.

The New York Mets collapse might say everything about who they really were all along

No one denies that the current New York Mets are immensely talented. It would be a futile argument. While the pitching staff could have been stronger entering the year, and injuries haven't helped, the depth chart is too strong for the team to struggle the way it has. There are plenty of whispers about Carlos Mendoza. Once the darling of Queens after a Cinderella run last year, many now question the Manager's aptitude to manage such a talented group.

Howie Rose didn't mince words. "I sure hope that it doesn't cost Carlos Mendoza his job if they don't get to the finish line, because I think that most of us would agree that Carlos has done a really, really good job." It's clear where he stands on that.

After Howie Rose made it clear that he felt Carlos Mendoza was still the man for the job, he was asked about the intestinal fortitude of the players in the clubhouse. Jon Heyman described them as "a lot of nice guys," who are "kind of letting this happen to them." Heyman posed the question, "Shouldn't somebody have gotten mad at this point?" This is where Rose had the opportunity to shut down the notion that the Mets aren't mentally tough enough. This is also where he didn't take that opportunity.

"It's hard to disagree with what you've said. But the personality of the team is what it is. And sometimes I think that if a player tries to step out of character, that becomes very transparent. And maybe, therein lies the problem. Maybe this team doesn't have that extra degree of passion that it needs to overcome this. I don't know."

Howie Rose

I want to be fair to Howie, out of respect for one of the "GOATS", and highlight the "I don't know" portion of his quote. He made sure to allow for the fact that he could be wrong. And he stopped short of purporting that their mental weakness is a flat-out certainty. But if Howie Rose, one of the more positive voices in the world of the Mets, isn't able to shoot that idea down with six games left in the season, that says it all.

Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Juan Soto make for a lineup that should strike fear into the heart of every pitcher and every ball club. Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil are great fourth and fifth options to have. Even with the injuries to the pitching staff, David Peterson and the three young guns should be an above-average group. On paper, everything is there. As baseball heads toward October, we should know with complete confidence that this group has all the heart you could ask for. Unfortunately, not even Howie Rose can say that.

The Mets have five games left to prove me and Howie wrong. After last night's victory and Cincinnati's loss, they are back in control of their own destiny. And the come-from-behind win was a great start to shutting me up. If they somehow end up in the playoffs, all may be forgiven. If not, it will be difficult to argue against the idea that this group didn't have the edge that a true competitor requires.