The New York Mets didn’t just miss the playoffs this year — they crashed out in a way fans won’t forget anytime soon, and many believe the bullpen played a major role in that collapse. Now the scrutiny grows louder as Carlos Mendoza comes under fire following blistering comments from former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino. Ottavino spotlights the Mets bullpen, already a season-long concern, and blasts what he calls a “pathetic” handling of relief pitchers.
“This is embarrassing, this is actually pathetic, like pathetic,” he said. He added, “I think he has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to bullpen guys and how to keep them healthy or even how to care about them at all. There’s no communication there, there’s no feel there, there’s no bedside manner when guys get hurt.”
As the crowd roared and the clubhouse lights burned bright, fans expected a stabilized relief core. The truth turned murkier. Under Mendoza’s watch, the Mets bullpen pushed through a tidal wave of injuries and instability. The club even had to deploy a record number of pitchers. Now the front office, led by David Stearns, must decide whether all this is simple damage control or a sign of deeper structural trouble. The expectations were high. The roster looked ready. Yet the bullpen fiasco still hangs over everything like dark clouds over an otherwise bright skyline.
What’s Next for the Mets?
Carlos Mendoza, still technically at the helm, must restore trust in the Mets clubhouse and deliver results on-the-field. And after Adam Ottavino’s public frustration, that pressure only grows louder. Stearns and the Mets brass face a key juncture: do they deliver more support, shake up the coaching structure, or bring in fresh voices to steady the drifting relief corps?
For Mets fans, this is about more than box scores, it’s about protecting arms, preserving potential, and showing that the blue-and-orange is more than a brand, it’s a promise. The bullpen can’t just be patched, it needs revival. And when the first game of next season begins, we’ll see if the Mets answered the call or simply waited for the next collapse. Are you ready to believe again?
