For the Mets, the weeks following the All-Star break have been nothing short of frustrating. Once viewed as a legitimate postseason contender, the team’s inconsistent play, particularly in the past month, has taken a toll on their momentum and playoff hopes. Costly bullpen collapses, quiet bats in key moments, and a string of series losses have fans wondering if the early-season promise can still be salvaged.
Across town, the Yankees haven’t fared much better. Despite boasting one of the most potent lineups in baseball on paper, the Bronx Bombers have seen their offense sputter and pitching staff struggle to keep opponents in check. Their slide since the break has turned a once-solid postseason outlook into a tense battle for survival in the standings.
Mets — Sliding Fast, Playoff Odds Tanking
The Mets are on a tailspin. Since July 28, they’ve dropped 8 games, including four series losses (Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Braves), going 18–30 since June 13, tying for the third-worst record in MLB. They now sit 4.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East.
Francisco Lindor has morphed from a clutch spark plug to a batting black hole. His numbers since June 1: .200 AVG, just 34 hits, 7 homers, 22 RBIs, and a brutal 0-for-26 slump lately. Post All-Star break, he’s hitting .176 with a .231 OBP and .294 SLG—OPS under .525.
The pitching side isn’t clean either. Starters, outside of David Peterson, haven’t gone six full innings since June 7 (53 games!), sick of getting yanked near 70 pitches. That’s overused a bullpen that’s started showing cracks. Sunday saw Tyler Rogers pitch his third straight day and Ryan Helsley on back-to-back days. The team ERA over the last 10 games is hovering between 4.57 and 4.94.
Despite the slide, FanGraphs still gives the Mets a playoff chance about 14%, though even that’s hanging by a thread if the skid continues.
Yankees — Talent Stocked, Execution Missing
The Yankees are limping too. Since July 1, they’ve gone 14–20, and are just 9–11 in their last 20 games. Offense is sluggish (.216 team average since the break), and Max Fried’s been shaky at best, posting a 6.00 ERA since July, with a rough outing against Houston fresh in fans’ minds.
Starts by Fried and Carlos Rodón continue to fizzle out early, forcing overworked relievers to pick up the slack. Since late June, only 5 out of 33 games saw starters reach six full innings. The bullpen has logged 127 innings with a 6.02 ERA; second-worst mark in that span.
Still, FanGraphs has them pegged with a playoff probability in the low 80s, but that seems optimistic without tactical adjustments. Manager Aaron Boone remains publicly hopeful:
“I wholeheartedly believe that we are going to get rolling and turn this thing around… when it does, you really start to build that next layer of confidence.”
The Bottom Line — October Can’t Wait
Here’s where things stand:
| Team | Sliding Record | Playoff Odds (FanGraphs) |
|---|---|---|
| Mets | 18–30 since June 13 | ~80% |
| Yankees | 14–20 since July 1 | ~90% |
Both teams are watching their early-season promise unravel as August ticks on. The Mets need Lindor and their rotation to rediscover form and fast. The Yankees need length from starters and stability out of the bullpen to prevent further collapse.
Both teams now face crucial matchups that could define the remainder of their seasons. The Mets will host the Miami Marlins for a three-game set at Citi Field before traveling to face the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend; two divisional opponents who won’t make things easy. Meanwhile, the Yankees stay home at Yankee Stadium to take on the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, then hit the road to battle the Toronto Blue Jays in another critical divisional clash. With the postseason picture tightening and little margin for error, the next week could very well determine whether New York will have October baseball on both sides of town or none at all.
No one’s buying tickets to October yet; this feels like a last-chance scramble. And right now, New York baseball risks slipping into irrelevance without immediate turnaround.