The 5 worst moments of the 2023 Mets season

With 90 games in the books and 72 still left to be played, the New York Mets are more than halfway through one of the most disappointing seasons in team history. Thought by many to be among the handful of true World Series contenders before the season began, the Mets will now be lucky to even snare the third Wild Card spot.

In a season that has defied expectations in the worst way imaginable, Mets fans have had to grapple with the pain that they've come to know all too well over years of tortured support. Here are our choices for the five worst moments in a season that has featured many more.

1) Justin Verlander gives up back-to-back homers in the first inning of his Mets debut

The loss of Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers cut deep. DeGrom was a pitcher that came up through the Mets organization, blossoming into the best pitcher in the league.

DeGrom's health troubles in recent years allowed Mets fans to rationalize his departure, and the arrival of 2022 AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was supposed to fill the void left by one of the best pitchers of his generation.

Verlander's Mets debut was delayed due to an injury of his own, but when he finally took the mound in May against one of his old teams, the Detroit Tigers, Mets fans heralded him as the savior that could rescue the team from the 2-8 tailspin that had seen them fall to just a game above .500.

Those dreams were quickly dashed, as Verlander allowed back-to-back home runs against the second and third batters he faced in the game. Though he settled down in not allowing another run over five innings, the damage was done, and the Mets bats mustered only three hits on their way to their sixth shutout loss of the season.