Mets fight to stay alive in the NL playoff hunt as the final six weeks loom, and the rookie Nolan McLean has given orange-and-blue fans something to cling to. McLean dazzled in his major-league debut, fanning eight over 5 2/3 innings and instantly injecting life into a rotation that has struggled to piggyback a lineup that’s gone off-balance. New York’s veteran arms—Griffin Canning, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Kodai Senga, and David Peterson—have supplied flashes but not consistency, leaving the club to lean on youth and a late-inning bullpen to salvage the season. With a wild-card grip precarious, the Mets are also eyeing further help from the pipeline, including Tong, as they chase October while Soto’s $765 million deal looms as a payroll reminder.

Fantasy angles: McLean, if he sticks, could become a sneaky innings option with strikeout upside, but managers should temper expectations until he proves stamina against a full order of big-league hitters. Peterson showed a path to stability in a key win and could be a streamer in favorable matchups; Senga’s durability remains a concern, so rostering complementary arms who eat innings will be pivotal in the Mets’ late-season sprint.

The Mets’ postseason pulse is faltering after a 4-3 defeat to Atlanta at Citi Field, extending a nine-of-10 skid that has trimmed a once-comfortable NL lead to a slim half-game edge for the final wild-card spot.

Solid outings like Kodai Senga’s 5.2 innings of two-run work are overshadowed by late bullpen collapses and defensive miscues, fueling a slide that has teammates and fans nervously watching as the schedule tightens. The upshot: Mets’ offense is scuffling to about three runs per game during the skid, and Mendoza’s decision-making is under the spotlight as they prep for a three-game set with Seattle, a team riding momentum and eyeing another hot stretch.

Across town, the Braves rode a multi-hit night from Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies (Albies with the go-ahead RBI double) to erase an early deficit and remind bettors and fantasy players that this division race remains open. The looming question for fantasy managers is how long the Mets can weather this storm and whether Mendoza can steady the ship before the calendar flips to autumn baseball.

New York’s rotation got a much-needed spark as Nolan McLean dazzled in his big-league debut, delivering 5.1 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to lift the Mets to a 3-1 win over Seattle. Pete Alonso snapped a run of quiet offense with a seventh-inning RBI double, while Francisco Lindor joined an elite club with his fifth 20-homer, 20-stolen-base season as a shortstop. Lindor also stole a bag but was thrown out, a quirk in a night full of small but meaningful milestones for a lineup that finally clicked.

From there, Gregory Soto and Edwin Diaz closed the door, surrendering a single Eugenio Suárez homer but preserving the victory as Seattle spaced out against Mets bullpen. Alonso’s RBI capper and Lindor’s multi-dimensional contributions anchored a night the Mets hope signals a turn in a season long on the brink. The club heads to Williamsport for the Little League Classic, with Soto mingling with kids, Senga flashing his forkball, and Alonso and the crowd yearning for a series triumph as they chase a late-season surge.

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.

The Mets' season swing from peak to pothole sped into another rough night at Citi Field as Seattle surged to an 11-9 comeback win. New York has now dropped 14 of 16, slipping six games behind Philadelphia in the NL East and clinging to the final wild-card slot by a thread. Francisco Lindor kept the tone defiant, calling the climb a steep mountain—one they must scale with better timing and fewer missteps. Through June they looked like a juggernaut, then fell back intoearly-season malaise with stale offense, blown leads, and a bullpen that couldn’t lock down a lead when it mattered most.

Front-office improvements were supposed to stabilize the relief corps, yet the latest implosion featured Ryan Helsley and Brooks Raley surrendering a seven-run blast in the middle innings, turning a 6-4 cushion into a deficit. Frankie Montas was demoted to bullpen duty after a rough stretch, and the pair of Helsley/Raley joined a shaky late-inning mix that couldn’t hold the line. On the mound, Kodai Senga delivered a solid start the night prior, but the offense and defense failed to back him, forcing New York to chase a game they briefly led. With 40 regular-season games left, the Mets need to flip the script—from the front office to the bullpen to the lineup—before the door to October closes.