2 reasons Mets fans should panic after the Mariners sweep, 1 reason we shouldn’t

Getting swept in 3 straight by the Seattle Mariners doesn’t make a team feel good. The New York Mets ended their tumultuous 10-game road trip in 4 cities with one of the most putrid offensive performances possible. As much as we’d love to point fingers, we only have 10 to go around.

Accompanying the mayhem was mediocre starting pitching, unsuccessful relief work, and a solo Jeff McNeil home run to at least prevent history from happening. The Mets looked weak by the end.

Do we panic? I’ll give you two reasons why you should be worried and one why you shouldn’t.

Panic because the Mets weren’t even close in any of these games against a desperate team

The Mariners dominated the Mets with their pitching but c’mon now. They were backed up against a corner. They hadn’t been playing good baseball. When the series began, the Mets had a better record.

Seattle is now chasing a Houston Astros club that decided to toy with them. Seemingly taking the 2024 season off, they’ve recently moved ahead of a Mariners club that we were told couldn’t hit. They proved us wrong with Sunday’s Home Run Derby highlighting the best of what they can do.

The Mets weren’t even close in any of these games, though. Sunday was a wash. A day prior, three runs allowed by Sean Manaea in the first inning immediately put them in a hole. They didn’t have an extra-base hit all night. They had four singles and not one Mets player reached second base.

Friday was the most competitive game they played. Unfortunately, they left 8 runners on and were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Jose Quintana kept them in the game. By the end, they were left miles behind.

Three uncompetitive efforts in a row. This is unacceptable.

Panic because the Mets are now battling with multiple teams for only one Wild Card spot

There was some good to come out of the weekend. The Atlanta Braves managed to beat the Colorado Rockies only once in three attempts. They even almost blew the one game they did win. They hold a half-game lead over the Mets.

What’s scary is how close the teams behind have managed to get. The St. Louis Cardinals remain relevant at only 1.5 games out of a spot which they now share with the San Francisco Giants. Don’t overlook the Chicago Cubs either. Despite their 59-60 record, they’ve matched the 8-2 record by the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres over the last 10. Their pitching can do to a team like the Mets what Seattle’s did over the weekend.

For much of the year, the NL Wild Card teams were mostly average with the Braves holding onto the top spot as the superior team. Not anymore. This is no longer a half-dozen ball clubs looking to back into two spots. It’s not a slobber knocker for one.

Perhaps most frightening of all is the next road trip for the Mets that’ll conveniently take them to Arizona and San Diego. Those clubs have put their foot on the gas in the second half. The Mets better load up on wins at home or this could be over by Labor Day.