David Stearns Needs to Be More Aggressive to Save 2026 Mets

It feels like time is a flat circle for the Mets, who are once again staring at a 22-33 record towards the end of May as of Wednesday afternoon. While the 2024 team used this point as a rock bottom to turn their year around on a way to a stunning NLCS run, the 2026 group appears to be sinking like a stone.

One of the big takeaways from President of Baseball Operations David Stearns's media availability following the postseason came after a question from the New York Post'sJoel Sherman asking what Stearns had learned from the experience. Stearns said that he learned he needed to be more proactive at certain points of the season, but declined to elaborate on what that meant.

Live Season Recap: David Stearns Addresses the Media. https://t.co/m20tYfokfO
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 29, 2025

It is ironic that Stearns mentioned being more proactive because the Mets were proactive after their 22-33 start in 2024, shuffling multiple players off the roster and bringing in new faces that helped form the nucleus of a Wild Card winner. Jose Iglesias, Mark Vientos and Jesse Winker were among the in-season adds that turned the potential dumpster fire into one of the most beloved teams in franchise history.

That proactivity appeared to disappear last season, when Stearns and the Mets routinely used bullpen games and gave struggling veterans like Frankie Montas a long leash during a mid-summer swoon instead of giving one of their highly touted pitching prospects a shot. The lack of urgency came back to bite the Mets as they missed the playoffs by one game, one they likely could have grabbed if Nolan McLean had made his big league debut before mid-August.

There have been points at which the Mets have shown some aggressiveness this season, such as giving prospects A.J. Ewing and Nick Morabito a look at the big league level. The problem, however, is that Stearns' definition of aggressive appears to be far different than what is needed to meet the moment.

The biggest issues David Stearns needs to address

Since he took over as the Mets' head of baseball operations, Stearns has largely viewed proactivity as frequently turning over the unproductive portions at the bottom of the roster. The Mets often will send out the last man in the bullpen for a fresh arm or try out a different bench player they found on waivers, but players viewed as significant to the core get a long leash to establish themselves.

The Mets' insistence on finding a role for Sean Manaea has led to a messy bullpen situation, leaving Carlos Mendoza struggling to manage his pitching staff. Mendoza said after last night's loss to the Cincinnati Reds that Manaea may start in his next outing, but that came because David Peterson was ineffective again as a starter.

Carlos Mendoza was asked if the Mets will consider a switch between David Peterson and Sean Manaea:

"I'm pretty sure there's going to be a conversation. We just ended here, but we're going to need all of them." pic.twitter.com/l1nFLQPcDo
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 27, 2026

Injuries have also wrecked the Mets' lineup, making it hard for the team to score runs on days when Marcus Semien needs to hit cleanup against left-handed pitching. It doesn't seem like anyone other than Jorge Polanco is particularly close to a return, and the earliest the Mets may see him is in two weeks after a rehab assignment.

The ongoing questions about Carlos Mendoza's job security haven't helped matters. It appeared that a statement that Mendoza wasn't going anywhere earlier this month inspired some good play from the Mets, who went 10-5 in their first 15 games of the month, but those gains have been given back in a 2-7 stretch over their past nine.

SNY's Ron Darling also noted during Tuesday's telecast that players continue to make routine fundamental mistakes, such as David Peterson failing to back up a throw from the outfield that cost the Mets dearly. When Gary Cohen asked whether that is something addressed by coaches, Darling implied that he isn't sure whether the players are actually listening to what the coaches are telling them.

Aggressive moves David Stearns should consider to try to salvage the Mets' season

It has become clear that the energy generated by Ewing's promotion has evaporated, leaving the Mets playing the same lifeless baseball they were at the end of April. With a tough schedule to start June, simply hoping to tread water until some of the injured stars return could mean the Mets are closer to 20 games under .500 and essentially buried at that point.

It feels like aggressive action is required to wake this group up, and unfortunately for Mendoza, that could require a managerial change. Stearns has notably never fired even a coach in season, let alone a manager, but if the players are starting to tune Mendoza out, he may not have the pull to cajole better performance from the team.

It is easy to sense Mendoza's frustration in post-game press conferences, as he has repeatedly said that he can only say what the Mets need to do, not do it himself. With Mendoza's contract set to expire at the end of the year, it may be in everyone's best interest to get him out of a bad situation.

Carlos Mendoza watches from the dugout. — Should the Mets pull the plug on Carlos Mendoza sooner rather than later? | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Stearns could also send a message to the clubhouse by either demoting inconsistent players to the minor leagues or moving on from them. The 2024 Mets woke up after Brett Baty, their starting third baseman to that point, was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse after failing to perform. That could mean bad news for Mark Vientos, who has been very inconsistent and is out of minor league options.

The Mets also need to find a jolt for the right side of their infield, which has been a mess for a while and is the easiest way to fix the lineup. Promoting top prospect Ryan Clifford could offer some necessary pop, which the Mets desperately need, while a trade for Houston's Christian Walker could plug the first base hole with a proven veteran who has been great this season.

It is possible things are so far gone for the Mets that all three options presented (a managerial change, removing players from the clubhouse, and a major acquisition) can't salvage their season. Simply waiting for injured players to return or hoping veterans live up to the back of their baseball cards isn't a viable strategy when you are 11 games under .500 past Memorial Day.

Stearns talked in his postseason press conference last year that he needed to be more proactive. It's time for him to show exactly what he learned from the 2025 disaster to avoid an even worse flameout in 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google