The month of August hasn't gone according to plan at all for the struggling New York Mets. They've gone 7-14 in the calendar month, and they were even in the middle of a six-game losing streak courtesy of two straight series sweeps at one point. With these struggles of theirs, they've fallen off the pace in the NL East division, with the Philadelphia Phillies having built a seven-game lead over them.
Thus, a three-game series against the Phillies could not come at a better time for the Mets, with New York looking to trim the deficit in the division to as little as three games. The Mets locker room knows just how important this series is, especially with their Wild Card status hanging in the balance still. But for Mark Vientos, he doesn't want his team to get ahead of themselves, treating this series against the Phillies like it was any other regular three-game set.
“These are big games. I feel like every game is important, but against [the Phillies], obviously we’re one and two [in the division] right now. I think we treat them like every other game. We want to win, and we’ll get focused for [Monday],” Vientos said, per Rick Farlow of MLB.com.
At the very least, the Mets avoided another series sweep, salvaging one win on Sunday in their most recent three-game set against another division rival in the Atlanta Braves.
The Mets should be confident against the Phillies, especially when the series will be in the friendly confines of Citi Field — a place they've gone 41-24 in (compared to 28-37 on the road) this season.
The expected pitching matchup in the first game of the series on Monday should be a good one, with the Mets sending Kodai Senga out to face Phillies star Christopher Sanchez.
Can Mark Vientos return to 2024 form for the Mets?
After being unearthed as a diamond in the rough in 2024, Vientos has struggled to be much of an impact player for the Mets in 2025, although he did drive in two runs with a home run in their 4-3 win against the Braves on Sunday.
On the season, Vientos is slashing .238/.284/.412 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs. This is not quite the season he had in 2024, when he slashed .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs.
It's not too late for Vientos to turn things around. And considering how locked in he is for the Mets heading into their ever-important Phillies series, he could be in for a hot streak.
