Are the Mets MLB’s Most Expensive Failure Ever?

On the other hand, the Mets are 15-25 on the season so far. While the Yankees and Dodgers' high spending has led to wins, the Mets have the fewest wins in baseball. That's not all, though. New York is on pace for 101 losses right now. Jon Heyman of The New York Post pointed out on X that New York is the only team in the league that is on pace for over 100 losses right now.

"Only one team is on pace to lose 100 games this year. Hard to believe, it’s the Mets," Heyman wrote.

Again, this is a team with a payroll just under $382 million. In comparison, the club had a payroll just over $346 million in 2025, $347 million in 2024, $374 million in 2023, and $299 million in 2022. Payrolls have climbed over the years. In 2022, there wasn't a team in baseball with a tax payroll over $300 million. The Mets were the closest. In 2023, the Mets flopped and went 75-87 with a payroll right around $374 million. The Mets are on pace for a worse — and more expensive — season.

That's a tough pill to swallow. There's no doubt that there are some injuries impacting the club. Kodai Senga, Jorge Polanco, Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. are all on the Injured List. That's a lot of talent to replace. But this is a club with a payroll just under $382 million. If you're spending that much money, you should have options to replace a few guys, even if they are stars. Los Angeles has gotten through with a two-time Cy Young Award winner and former MVP missing a chunk of the season. Also, three-time All-Star Edwin Díaz is on the Injured List.

The Mets' issues don't just lie in the injuries. Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta have been a three-headed monster at the top of the rotation. Holmes has a 1.86 ERA, McLean has a 2.78 ERA and Peralta has a 3.12 ERA. All three have made eight starts apiece. The bullpen has been solid and has the 10th-best ERA in baseball at 3.71. But the offense has been brutal. The Mets are 27th in baseball in homers (31), 29th in runs scored (139), 29th in base hits (295) and 29th in team batting average (.222).

Marcus Semien is batting .225, Bo Bichette is batting .222, Robert was batting .224 before getting hurt, Polanco was batting .179 before he got hurt, Mark Vientos is batting .231 and even Juan Soto is batting .264. For Soto, his numbers are better than pretty much everyone else on the team, but aren't up to his standards. You can't win games when your offense is this bad. A surprise around baseball, to say the least.