New York’s October blockbuster strategy—a $339 million payroll built to chase a World Series—has unraveled in dramatic fashion as starting pitching failures and a misfiring bullpen derail the Mets. The rotation has failed to deliver innings, forcing overworked relievers into scrambles while the front office bets on analytics over depth. The collapse prompts a reckoning of Stearns’ approach after luring Soto and reshaping the roster around a thin rotation.

Meanwhile, other big clubs offer somber reminders: the Dodgers’ injury-riddled run mirrors the Mets’ woes, and the Yankees’ in-park noise only masks sloppy play. Yet the Mets’ future remains intriguing, with top prospects and a potential Opening Day rotation comprising McLean, Sproat, Tong, and elite outfield talent in Jett Williams and Carson Benge—if the org lets the kid pitchers grow into innings and keep faith with development over the next big add.