David Lennon: After sweep by Rockies, shakeup seems inevitable for Mets
Manager Carlos Mendoza #64 of the New York Mets looks on during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies in the second game of a double header at Citi Field on Sunday, Apr. 26, 2026. Credit: Jim McIsaac
With the clock ticking on their manager, and more jobs potentially at stake, this was the Mets’ response Sunday to the deepening crisis at Citi Field.
Eighteen innings. One run.
A new low. Evidently, stacking up single L’s on a daily basis wasn’t bad enough. So on Sunday, for the first time this season, the feckless Mets lost twice in a six-hour span, dropping a doubleheader to the Rockies by the scores of 3-1 and 3-0.
If the Mets’ clubhouse intends to retain Carlos Mendoza, or keep any of his staff intact, they have a funny way of showing it. They looked virtually helpless offensively -- scraping together only two extra-base hits all day, including the lone run on Tyrone Taylor’s Game 1 homer -- and stumbled to an incredible 10 games under .500 (9-19) before the end of April.
That’s enough to get most managers fired, especially ones in charge of a $370 million roster. But the numerous defects are what’s been sabotaging Mendoza, who says his attention is focused on winning games -- not a future that is growing more precarious by the day.
“The only thing I’m worried about here is I got to get the guys going,” Mendoza said when asked about his status. “I get it. It sucks, and I know the questions will continue to come up. But my job is to find a way to get those guys out of the funk. That’s the bottom line.”
As for any assurances from the front office, Mendoza reiterated that he has a good relationship with president of baseball operations David Stearns and “comes in every day to do my job.”
But it’s not working, and Sunday featured more of the same sad formula. They again were incompetent at the plate, provided near-zero run support for their fledgling ace Nolan McLean -- who dropped to 1-2 despite a 2.55 ERA -- and were loudly booed, early and often, by the increasingly agitated Citi Field fans.
And that was just Game 1 of the doubleheader. What followed was more of the usual ugliness, courtesy of a newly shuffled cast headlined by the predictably non-competitive Kodai Senga, who recorded eight outs (and gave up three runs) before Mendoza practically sprinted from the dugout to retrieve him. That could be the end of Senga for a while, as Mendoza said later they’d have to discuss when (or where) he pitches next.
No matter. It was too late to save the Mets, and not even Juan Soto can rescue them. Soto’s return from the IL was supposed to boost the sagging lineup, but he’s 3-for-15 with three singles and six walks as he’s being pitched around in the five games since he’s been back. That’s not exactly a manager-saving material from the $765 million slugger.
“We’re more worried about our jobs,” Soto said. “As players, we have to perform. This is definitely not Mendy’s fault or David’s fault. They definitely put a great team together and we have to be the ones who got to go out there and perform.
“I don’t think (Mendoza) has been doing anything wrong. I think he’s been doing a great job as manager. He’s putting the pieces in the right spots. We haven’t come through.”
It’s the same pathetic refrain.What was different about Sunday’s vibe around the Mets? Alex Cora, considered one of the best managerial minds in the business, is now a free agent after his surprise firing Saturday night by the sinking Red Sox. Naturally, Mendoza was asked about Cora getting whacked before the end of April, an early trigger that signaled an irreparable rift between the dugout and front office.
“You never know, right?” Mendoza said Sunday morning. “Especially in this business.”
Sometimes you do know, and Mendoza’s own players appear to be nudging him toward the door with their insipid performance on a daily basis. Mendoza doesn’t hit or pitch, and the people hired by Stearns to do those things have been woefully incapable of doing their jobs.
A dismal trend of this magnitude isn’t survivable, whether it’s Mendoza who takes the fall or members of his brand new coaching staff. We targeted this current nine-game homestand as a suitable evaluation period for Mendoza & Co., believing that if they failed to correct themselves against lesser competition, at home, with Soto’s return from the IL, then it was officially time for a shakeup.
There's now just three games left with the Nats. And after Sunday’s sweep, consider those two wins last week over the Twins a “dead-cat bounce” -- a financial term that runs counter to Cohen’s infamous “green shoots” tweet and suggests any sustained winning is simply beyond the reach of these Mets.
They’re now 2-4 on this pivotal homestand, and with Monday’s off day, it’s a tempting spot on the schedule for Stearns to hit the re-set button if he were leaning that way on Mendoza. He may not be ready quite yet. Stearns hired Mendoza, and the two get along, so that could buy some additional time. Just last week, Cohen was sending Mendoza supportive texts, and this is not like the hostile dynamic that ultimately cooked Cora.
Also, Mendoza once again is left trying to find solutions without an irreplaceable lineup component. Earlier this month, the Mets went 3-12 while Soto was on the IL. And as soon as Soto came back, Francisco Lindor vanished due to a calf strain that will probably cost him two months.
The Mets’ offense ranks last or near the bottom in nearly every category and has averaged 3.21 runs, the fewest in the majors. They also have scored two or fewer runs in 15 of their 29 games this season.
“It’s hard to explain,” Mendoza said. “It’s just not a good showing.”
The Mets are bad, and getting worse. Someone has to take the blame for that.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
