The New York Mets were once the top team in baseball earlier in 2025, but now, after a rough second half of the year, they are on the verge of missing the postseason.

Drawing comparisons to 2007, this current Mets’ collapse is a brutal one, which was emphasized with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, which effectively put the NL East to bed in favor of Philadelphia.

But how did the Mets collapse to such a degree? David Shoenfield of ESPN highlighted in a recent piece the three statistics that show how the Mets have struggled so much lately.

How the Mets have collapsed in September

There are three key areas where the Mets have struggled, all of which have led to the team struggling during this losing streak. Before and after their June 12th win to get to 45-24, the Mets have been completely different teams.

The three areas where the Mets have faltered since June 12th are the team’s starting rotation, bullpen, and even on offense.

Starting pitching woes in the second half

In the starting rotation, the Mets have seen their ERA nearly double. As Schoenfield points out, “Through June 12: 2.79 ERA (first in majors). Since June 12: 5.09 ERA (24th).”

Kodai Senga was strong to begin the year, but is now in Triple-A after posting a 6.00 ERA in August. David Peterson made the All-Star team and, since then, has had a 5.23 ERA. Clay Holmes, who’s pitched the most innings of his career, has a 4.72 ERA since the All-Star break.

Sean Manaea has also struggled, as he has a 7.71 ERA since the start of August, and is now being moved to the Mets bullpen. Their rotation concerns have led the Mets to call upon three rookies to play a significant role in the rotation.

Nolan McLean has been stellar, while Jonah Tong struggled in his outing against the Texas Rangers, giving up six runs in the first inning. Brandon Sproat has been solid, posting two quality starts since coming up to the Majors.

Bullpen concerns after rough trade deadline moves

The other key area that showcases the Mets’ struggles in the second half of the season has been the bullpen. Before June 12th, the bullpen had a 2.82 ERA, which was second in Major League Baseball. In the time since, the Mets’ bullpen ranks 26th with a 5.04 ERA.

Edwin Diaz is still an elite closer, but the rest of the bullpen has not been up to the task. Of their struggling relievers, none has been more apparent than the incredible regression of Ryan Helsley.

Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the MLB trade deadline, Helsley was meant to take on a big role for New York amid a postseason push. However, since coming to the Mets, he’s been one of the worst pitchers in baseball.

Across 17 appearances for the Mets, Helsley has four blown saves, a 10.29 ERA, and a 0-3 record. He’s allowed 20 runs, and batters are hitting .354 off of him. The Mets’ trade for Helsley has been a complete disaster.

But it’s not just him. Brooks Raley, Tyler Rogers, Ryne Stanek, and many others who’ve contributed to the Mets’ bullpen have had their positives, but since the 12th of June, there have been more negatives than positives.

The Mets’ offense is working, but not consistently

The last statistic that Schoenfield points to for the Mets’ struggles since June 12th is the lack of consistency in New York. Their offense hasn’t been too different in the time before and after June 12th.

Juan Soto and the Mets offense had a .248/.332/.427 slash line with 4.6 runs per game through the 12th of June. Since then, their slash line is .250/.323/.425 with an average of 4.8 runs per game.

MORE: Mets’ Juan Soto is first in MLB history with this home run trifecta record

Offensively, the Mets have improved since the point at which Schoenfield’s analysis begins. But the team’s struggles during their eight-game losing streak point to the inconsistency of the offense.

When it’s clicking, it’s an elite group that can go toe-to-toe with the top offenses in baseball. Soto, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and the supporting cast of hitters are strong enough to contend. But there’s too much inconsistency with the offense, which was part of the reason for the early September collapse.

The Mets still have a chance to make the postseason

While there’s plenty of doom and gloom in New York over the Mets’ struggles of late, the team still can secure a postseason spot and make a run this October. With 12 games left on the schedule, the Mets are 1.5 games up on their top competition.

They begin a six-game homestand against the San Diego Padres, then welcome the Washington Nationals to close out their home games in 2025.

Next, the Mets go on a road trip to face the Chicago Cubs, before closing out the year against the Miami Marlins. With the Marlins being a frisky team, and the Padres and Cubs the top NL wild card teams, the Mets’ schedule isn’t easy.

Fortunately, they control their own destiny and can make a run to close out September and avoid another disastrous collapse in the last 20 years. While a lot needs to improve, their win over the Rangers was a good way to begin the team’s final push to play October baseball.