PITTSBURGH — In an attempt to halt their spiraling season, the New York Mets convened a players-only meeting on Saturday night following a second consecutive noncompetitive loss to a last-place team. The meeting took place in the visiting clubhouse at PNC Park, where the Mets hoped that open dialogue could spark a much-needed recovery.
Brandon Nimmo, who was present but did not speak during the meeting, revealed that key players such as Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso were among the “six or seven” who voiced their concerns. Another player indicated that Juan Soto also contributed to the discussion.
“It’s not ‘rah, rah,’ like, ‘Now, the season is going to turn around,’” Lindor commented after the Mets’ 9-2 loss to the Pirates. “We are competing still. We are one game out of first place. We are on top in the wild card. This is not like a magic thing. This is not how it works. If that’s how it worked, we would have done it a while ago, but it’s just part of the adversity we are dealing with.”
The Mets’ defeat to the Pirates marked their 12th loss in 15 games, a streak that has seen them outscored 18-3 over the last two games. This downturn follows what appeared to be a turning point during their last homestand, where they managed to split a series with the Atlanta Braves.
Seeking Solutions Amidst Struggles
After enduring a seven-game losing streak last weekend, Lindor was questioned about the possibility of a players-only meeting. At the time, he insisted that any such meeting would need to occur “organically,” a sentiment he reiterated when describing Saturday’s gathering.
“After the game, we all sat here and it just happened,” Lindor explained. “We collectively as a group decided to start talking to each other and that is what good teams do. We all rely on each other. We all bounce ideas off each other.”
This is not the first time the Mets have resorted to a players-only meeting to address team issues. Last season, a similar meeting on May 29 helped catalyze a turnaround that saw the Mets advance to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. However, that resurgence was also bolstered by the addition of new players, including Jose Iglesias, who played a pivotal role in energizing the team.
Voices from the Clubhouse
Nimmo described the recent meeting as more of a community forum rather than a directive session. “It wasn’t necessarily one guy saying, ‘Hey, you need to do this or that,’” Nimmo said. “This was more of just a community talk and getting things out there. It was good. We’ll see if it works or not.”
Soto, who has been one of the few Mets performing well recently with a 1.214 OPS in June, reportedly encouraged his teammates to “keep believing.”
Neither Lindor nor Alonso disclosed the specifics of their messages during the meeting. Alonso acknowledged that the team is facing multiple issues, not just one. “Just collectively as a group — offensively, defensively, baserunning — we’re not playing our cleanest baseball,” Alonso admitted. “We’re not playing to our maximum potential right now. It shows in the record. We’re playing good games or staying in games, but I think we need to do a better job of finishing.”
Looking Forward
As the Mets attempt to navigate through this challenging period, Lindor hopes that the open dialogue will prove beneficial. “We’re in a position where we are taught to keep things inside,” Lindor said. “When we all see guys talking, it seems like we are all going through the same thing at the same time, so why not talk about it? It makes you feel like you are not playing alone, like you are playing a team sport.”
The Mets’ ability to rebound from this slump will be crucial as they aim to maintain their position in the playoff race. With key players stepping up to lead discussions, the team hopes to find the spark needed to turn their season around.
