Why June Will Be the Most Important Month of David Stearns's Mets Tenure

Its now or never for the Mets

Is Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns ready for the pressure that June will bring? | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Now in his third season as the executive for the Mets, things have not exactly gone as planned for President of Baseball Operations David Stearns. The Mets went on a miracle run in 2024 to reach the National League Wild Card and ultimately advanced to the NL Championship Series, where they would be eliminated by the Dodgers 4-2. That winter, he signed Juan Soto to the largest contract in North American sports history, and the team raced out to a dream start in 2025.

Since about this time last year, it has been nothing short of a nightmare for Stearns. Since the start of play on June 12, 2025, the Mets are 65-88 (as of Monday), easily one of the worst records in all of baseball. Stearns’s team completed an epic postseason collapse, and then suffered a 12-game losing streak in April of this year. After a 16-12 month of May, the Mets have clawed back to the fringes of the playoff conversation, and could play themselves right back into the hunt with a strong showing in June. 

The Mets slowly found a way to start reversing their fortunes in May. Will that continue into June? | John Jones-Imagn Images

On the other hand, a month much more like April than May would seal the fate of this roster heading into the trading deadline. At the risk of sounding dramatic, June will be the biggest month of Stearns’s tenure in New York. If they can get back in the playoff hunt, it might save his job.

If not, it would be two incredibly disappointing seasons following a miracle finish just to get to the playoffs. Needless to say, this is easily the most important month of Stearns’ stint with the Mets.

This June could prove to be make-or-break for David Stearns's time with the Mets

With May over, the Mets are now out of the cellar in the NL East and are four games behind the Phillies, who are at the bottom of an eight-team cluster in the Wild Card picture, where all eight are separated by a few games in the standings. The Mets are set to play 19 games with teams in that cluster in June. This gives them some momentum heading into that stretch, which is preceded by a three-game set with the Mariners that began on Monday night.

If the Mets can knock off some of those teams and climb back into the hunt, it'll be due in large part to this current group being able to hold down the fort until the likes of Jorge Polanco and Francisco Alvarez return from the injured list, as both are set to play for Syracuse on Tuesday. A few key moves by Stearns, the signing of Jared Young from the KBO, and the pitching of Austin Warren, a Stearns addition, have helped right the ship in recent weeks.

Carlos Mendoza says that the plan is for Francisco Alvarez to play for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/0K3ol5aVP1

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 31, 2026

The simple fact is that the Mets need to get back into the race, or things are going to change quickly in Queens. Manager Carlos Mendoza is in the final year of his contract with the team and could be on the chopping block if things don't go well in June. If Mendoza is ousted, it leaves only Stearns to shoulder the blame, and it could become a large load if things truly go off the rails for the Mets.

Alternatively, he could end up being right about everything if the Mets dramatically revive their season.