“Another Mets collapse looming large” “The downfall of the Mets?” - New York Mets fans suspect downfall after they lead NL East by just half a game

The New York Mets have been a great team this season, proving that they are among some of the best teams in Major League Baseball. Their 58-37 record is enough to be first place in the National League East. However, the Mets have been struggling as of late, and the Atlanta Braves are just half a game behind New York for first place.

The Braves have been hot for quite a while, and it was suspected they would make things competitive in the NL East. They have slowly but surely crept up on the Mets.

At the start of the season, New York jumped out to a large lead in the division, and Atlanta appeared mediocre. Since the return of superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. in late May, however, the Braves have been red-hot, and have made up the ground they lost in the earlier months.

The Mets have suffered many injuries this season, including franchise cornerstone pitcher Jacob deGrom, who is yet to pitch this season. It look liked that the Mets were battling well through injuries at first, but the team is now feeling the effects.

This Mets squad has looked nothing like they usually do in their past two games against the San Diego Padres. Their offense has looked dead, having scored just one run in each loss against San Diego.

A New York Mets' late-season collapse is nothing new. The Mets are famous for falling apart at the end of the season. Perhaps the most notable time this happened was in 2007, when the Mets blew a 13-game lead to the Philadelphia Phillies in September. Even last season, the Mets experienced somewhat of a collapse in August.

With the Mets appearing stagnant and the trade deadline looming, New York needs to get a couple of pieces for the squad.

Although they already picked up Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates, they need some more players. The Mets could use another bat and another arm in the bullpen.

What the New York Mets should do at the trade deadline

New York Mets v Miami Marlins

With Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto apparently out of the trade picture, another Washington player comes to mind. Nationals first baseman Josh Bell is having a great season, batting .305 with an .879 OPS. He would be great to pair with Mets star Pete Alonso, where they can switch on and of from first base and designated hitter.

The Mets could fix their bullpen issues by trading for a veteran arm. The best player of this description is Chicago Cubs reliever David Robertson. He has been a lockdown for the Cubs, having a 1.93 ERA and just a .99 WHIP.

The New York Mets will have to make a move this deadline if they want to avoid yet another collapse.