Here's What Mets Must Do on Their Upcoming Homestand to End May

This homestand could end up being a make-or-break stretch for New York.

The Mets can't afford to end May on a low note. | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

After winning six of seven games and seemingly righting their passage, the Mets have lost five of six games and were swept by the Marlins, who started their recent three-game set in last place in the National League East. The Mets are now nine games under .500 on the season and are right back in the cellar in the division. They are entering a significantly harder section of their schedule in the coming weeks and can't afford to let their play slip for any longer.

Starting with their first game on Monday against the Reds, the Mets are going to need to rattle off a handful of wins. The Mets now sit seven losses behind the third Wild Card spot in the NL, and the Reds are one of the teams directly above them in the standings. The Mets have been rattled by injuries all season, but they need to continue to tread water until they begin to receive reinforcements off the injured list.

With such an important stretch in front of them, the Mets need to win this homestand in a big way. Considering the homestand will be six games, the Mets need to walk out of this upcoming week with four wins or better. If they go .500 or worse, they could officially be out of time to right the ship before the 2026 MLB trade deadline.

Mets must go at least 4-2 over their upcoming six-game homestand

The Mets must go 4-2 in their six games against the Reds and the Marlins this week or risk falling out of the periphery of the NL playoff picture. The Mets are sitting with the third-worst record in the majors and are tied for the fifth-worst in all of baseball. There is not much room below the Mets' current spot if their struggles continue, and their play isn't exactly inspiring confidence in a quick rebound.

The Mets can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye if they don't turn things around, beginning with a winning record on their upcoming homestand. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Mets own the worst team OPS in all of baseball, at a brutal mark of .642. A considerable amount of that production has been the near-MVP play of slugger Juan Soto. The Mets have only 46 homers as a team, 10 of which belong to Soto. He has been incredible so far, but the Mets are losing in spite of his strong play. Getting outfielder Jared Young back off the injured list will help them a good deal as he figures to replace the struggling lefty MJ Melendez, but it won't be enough if the rest of their bats do not wake up.

Their pitching has remained strong, with youngsters Christian Scott and Jonah Tong performing well recently, but both were let down by the brutal offensive output in Miami. In years past, the Mets have won with bad offenses and great pitching, but this 2026 iteration hasn't even managed that so far.

If the Mets struggle through their return to Citi Field, it could get rather ugly for the Mets and their fans. Calls for manager Carlos Mendoza's job have been consistent since their playoff collapse last year, and an even uglier start to the season could be enough for the President of Baseball Operations to pull the plug.

With at least a 4-2 stretch at home, the Mets would be able to avoid their season completely falling apart and could still reasonably reach the playoffs. Anything less, and we could be discussing who the Mets could trade at the deadline this year.