The New York Mets are currently on a seven-game losing streak. To put it another way, the team with the highest payroll in the majors has not won a game since June 1.
There is no way to sugarcoat this dreadful run. Last night's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates saw the club drop to 30-34 on the season. They are currently languishing in fourth place in the National League East, 9.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves.
The ownership has invested heavily in building a roster capable of challenging for the championship. The Mets were aggressive during the offseason and focused predominantly on adding experienced and established pitchers. That strategy has failed to materialize.
Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are two of the biggest names in baseball. They are also two of the highest earners in the league. They have combined for a total of six Cy Young Awards and 17 All-Star appearances.
This year, they have a combined 7-5 record and managed to get through just 92.1 innings.
After entering the season with high expectations, the New York Mets have once again over-promised and under-delivered. Mets fans finally seemed to have reached a tipping point with this club and took to Twitter to vent their frustration.
Verlander was the headline signing this year, but the Mets also added starting pitchers Jose Quintana and Kodai Senga during the offseason. Dave Roberts was also brought in to add depth to the bullpen.
The New York Mets rank 26th in the majors with a 4.80 team ERA
Pitching has been a problem area for this Mets team. They have conceded an average of 10 runs per game over their last four games, including a 14-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
Overall, the club ranks 26th in the majors in team ERA (4.80), 24th in batting average against (.256) and 28th in home runs conceded (90).
It is still early in the season, but some analysts are calling for a full revamp. With the MLB trade deadline around the corner, the Mets could look to rebuild their floundering pitching staff.
Prior to the season, there was optimism amongst the New York Mets fanbase, and rightfully so. That early season optimism has now metamorphosed into despair and frustration.