Entering Monday, the Mets are second-worst in baseball runs scored (72), have hit the fourth-fewest home runs (16), walked the fourth-fewest times (64) and have the worst OBP in baseball (.288) and second-worst SLG (.336) and second-worst OPS (.624). The pitching, of course, is a story of its own. This all comes on top of a 7-15 record, an 11-game losing streak, and a tied-for-the-worst record in baseball with the Kansas City Royals.

The manager can’t hit, he doesn’t blow saves and there is nothing he can do to heal Juan Soto. So I don’t think Carlos Mendoza is the problem with the Mets. There are many. But I think he is a problem, and it’s time for him to go.

Tiebreakers decided the Mets’ playoff fate last year, and in 2024, and if the Mets are going to turn this season around, it could very well come down to the wire again. I thought a handful of Mendoza’s questionable-at-best decisions cost the Mets a playoff spot last season. The extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Sunday was the second time this year I couldn’t make sense of Mendoza’s line of thinking.

Tie game, 10th inning, runner on third and one out, and Nico Hoerner is up. I don’t think pitching to him is even debatable. You set up the double play, and on deck is Michael Busch. Mendoza said after the game that if he put him on, Hoerner would take second base, so the double play would be out of order.

Well, first, I don’t agree with that assumption. (Do the Cubs want to risk Luis Torrens throwing him out?) But OK, let’s go with that. If we are to assume Hoerner takes second, then it seems fair to assume Craig Kimbrel threw a called strike. And if we take it that far, then would you rather see Hoerner (hitting .325) or Busch (hitting .164) with a 0-1 count? I’d take the free strike. (You could also walk two batters, which would set up the double play, and pitch to Alex Bregman. Not my cup of tea, but I’d still prefer that to going to Hoerner.)

In the third game of the season, Mendoza went to new Washington Nationals reliever Richard Lovelady to start the 10th inning, leaving Devin Williams, among others, unused. (He said after the Mets lost that game 4-3 that Williams was unavailable because he pitched the previous day and had warmed up two days before that, an explanation that I found lacking.)

Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

I like Mendoza overall. I like that he seems to be a steadying presence in media interviews, even after tough losses like Sunday. I even like that he shuffles the batting order in ways I would never consider. Jared Young third? OK! Carson Benge leadoff? Get the rookie going! I keep in mind that a) the manager sees things I don’t, maybe Young looked wonderful in batting practice, and b) if you asked 10 Mets fans how to set the batting order, you would get 10 different answers.

But I fear sticking with Mendoza will continue to cost the Mets games here and there throughout the season. And that could be the difference between playing or watching come October. It may sound crazy to some, but I think with 140 games to go, all is not yet lost.