If a team cannot score, they cannot win ballgames.

On Saturday night, the Mets lost game two of a three game set against the Boston Red Sox by a score of 4-0. Freddy Peralta was, well, how he’s been in 2026. Not good enough, walked too many people, and threw too many pitches. However, the Mets did not help him in the slightest. The Mets managed just three hits against a Red Sox bullpen game that saw five different pitchers. And, like the vast majority of the season, the Mets’ struggles with runners in scoring position (RISP) continued.

Entering Saturday night, the Mets offense had largely been carried by their stellar young outfield trio of A.J. Ewing, Juan Soto, and Carson Benge. Saturday night’s game was the first time since June 10 that the trio had been held hitless. So while that is new, the continued struggles with runners in scoring position is not.

The Mets went 0-for-8 with RISP, including two innings with a runner in scoring position without an out. This was has been a theme for the Mets all season, and while it’s been improved as of late, it still isn’t good enough.

Entering Saturday, the Mets were tied for 26th in wRC+ with runners in scoring position, 29th in SLG, 29th in OPS, and 28th in wOBA. Outside of Soto and Ewing, none of the Mets every day players are succeeding with RISP, causing the Mets to be unable to continue long rallies and string together big innings.

The problems on the offense runs deeper than just poor situational hitting. The bottom line is, outside of Soto, Ewing, Benge, and Bo Bichette, who in the Mets’ lineup strikes fear into the opposition? Francisco Alvarez, who is having a decent year offensively, has been inconsistent overall and abysmal in big spots. Francisco Lindor has been unable to find any sort of rhythm at the plate, hitting .189 since returning to the lineup. Saturday, the Mets bottom five hitters were Jorge Polanco, Eric Wagaman, Alvarez, Brett Baty, and Zack Short. Those players have a combined 0.1 fWAR between the five of them.

The lineup, and team as a whole, is just simply not deep enough. If the top four hitters are unable to produce produce runs, it feels impossible to generate any offense.

When president of baseball operations David Stearns assembled the roster, I don’t imagine he envisioned Lindor, Polanco, Soto, and Luis Robert Jr. all missing as many games as they have. However, the bigger problem is that none of the depth players took any steps forward. Mark Vientos and Baty have regressed since their peaks in the previous few years, and if it wasn’t for a midseason call up of Ewing, this team would be in tougher shape.

A zebra can’t change it’s stripes. As currently assembled, the Mets’ lineup can only go as far as their outfield trio can take them.