New York Mets Midseason Recap

Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2025

by Matthew Nazario

We have reached the Midsummer Classic! Going into the break, the Mets sent four players to Atlanta for the All-Star festivities, being SS Francisco Lindor, 1B Pete Alonso, SP David Peterson, and CP Edwin Diaz.  

As the MLB’s All-Star break rolls on, the season so far has been quite the rollercoaster for the New York Mets. After obtaining a league best record of 45-23 on June 12th, the Mets proceeded to lose 14 of their next 17 games in which their sizable lead in the NL East vanished in the blink of an eye. 

Injuries particularly with the pitching rotation began to bite, the bats began to go quiet, which prior to this stretch was very much out of character for how this team plays at its best this season.  New York was able to somewhat turn it around and reach the All-Star break sitting at 55-42, just 0.5 GB of the NL East-leading Phillies and in possession of the second Wild Card in the NL. 

The Early Days of the Soto Deal 

Juan Soto’s decision to join the New York Mets this past winter made him an athlete of incredibly high interest going into the 2025 season. Whether it was Yankees or Padres fans who resent him, Mets fans eager to see what he can do, or just the casual fan, the eyes of the baseball world were certainly locked in on Soto.

Although the Mets had quite the rough stretch in the month of June, the same could not be said for Soto. He played like the $700 million dollar man the Mets hoped he would be, including 11 home runs in the month of June alone and being awarded National League Player of the Month for his herculean offensive efforts. 

It was a bright spot in what was a bleak time for the rest of the team. Moving into July, this run of incredible slugging seems to not be a fluke, with great offensive play through early July and into the break. It was a critical month to shake off the rust he evidently showed throughout his early months in Queens.

Alonso and Lindor Leading the Way

While Soto needed some time to adjust to his new home in Queens, the franchise staples in Alonso and Lindor have been dialed in from the start of the season.

Alonso, who’s future with the Mets came into question following a long offseason, has certainly made his case to be the Mets long term solution at first base. With 21 home runs, 75 RBI’s (T-3rd most in the Majors), and his timely hitting has made him an offensive weapon throughout the season. 

Alonso has been able to be on base consistently as well, with a .290 BA, .376 OBP, and an OPS of .934, making him an offensive anchor for New York this season.

While the month of June was not the greatest for Francisco Lindor, with his batting taking a dive and only notching 4 home runs, Lindor has been a pivotal part of the Mets’ past and future success in the 2025 season. His fast start in 2025, which included 18 home runs and great defensive play in turn, has helped the Mets reach 50+ wins before the break and awarded him his first All-Star game appearance since 2019. 

Success AND Trouble in the Bullpen 

It was no secret the amount of long-term concerns the Mets’ bullpen had heading into the 2025 season. Losing Luis Severino to the Athletics in free agency and Jose Quintana to the Brewers, mixed with the injury troubles of Sean Manea and Frankie Montas left fans nervous for the state of the bullpen heading into the season. 

To the surprise of many however, the bullpen started off the season on fire, as it was one of the league’s elite, but has slowly fatigued and fallen off the tracks as the months rolled on. It would not be fair to pin all the blame on the bullpen, however. 

They often find themselves in high pressure situations with the Mets offensive problems placing even more pressure on the relievers to secure wins. Much criticism has been pinned on manager Carlos Mendoza for the overuse of the bullpen which has led to negative results.

There have been plentiful amounts of bright spots on the mound for the Mets despite the struggles. Before his injury, Kodai Senga was dazzling on the mound including his 1.39 ERA. David Peterson was named to his first All-Star game thanks to his strong season so far and being one of the more reliable pitchers for the Mets this season. 

Edwin Diaz is back to his dominant self after a bit of a rough patch following his injury in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, making the All-Star game for third time in his career and being the closer the Mets hoped he would be when they first acquired him. 

What's Next?

The Mets return to action Friday, July 18th, against the Cincinnati Reds kicking off the second half of the season.  The standings are incredibly tense and will only grow more competitive as the season progresses. 

The Mets more than anything need to find a balance. At their best, this season they have shown to be a bonafide title contender. At their worst however, they are a team that is less than the sum of their parts.

Matthew Nazario can be reached at matthew.nazario@student.shu.edu.

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