mets’ Latest Collapse feels…Normal? Why Disappointment is Woven into the Team’s DNA
New York, NY – For New York Mets fans, a summer of soaring expectations has given way to a familiar feeling: disappointment. After a blistering start to the season, highlighted by the blockbuster signing of Juan Soto, the Mets have spiraled into a slump, posting one of the worst records in Major League Baseball since June 13th.But for many long-suffering fans, this collapse isn’t a shock – it feels…well, normal.
The team’s recent woes – including a staggering number of blown leads and underperformance across the board – are a stark contrast to the optimism that surrounded the franchise after hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen took ownership in 2020. Cohen promised to build a team new Yorkers coudl be proud of, a far cry from the embarrassment many felt during the previous ownership’s entanglement with bernie Madoff.
Initially, it seemed to be working. Last season saw a thrilling playoff run, and the acquisition of Soto signaled a new era of dominance. Even a bizarre injury to closer Edwin Díaz - who initially reported one leg being longer than the other (later attributed to a hip strength imbalance) – seemed to be resolved quickly, with Díaz returning to form.
But the momentum didn’t last.
Since June 12th, when the Mets held a commanding 5.5-game lead in the National League East,the team has gone 23-36. Starting pitching has faltered, the bullpen has become unreliable, and the offense has struggled to produce. Brief flashes of brilliance – a seven-game win streak in July, a recent three-game unbeaten stretch – have been quickly extinguished, most recently in a series loss to the struggling Washington Nationals.
“Feels very normal,” Nick O’Brien, a mets fan, told World-Today-News.com. “There’s a little bit of a trauma response in there.”
A History of Heartbreak
This pattern of hope and heartbreak is deeply ingrained in the Mets’ identity. as one fan pointed out on Reddit, debates are already raging about which past Mets squads suffered the worst collapses. The team’s association with absurdity, as explored in a recent New Yorker profile, is almost a defining characteristic.
Despite the downturn, the Mets’ overall record remains above .50
