Yankees wobble, Mets crumble: Summer slide more alarming in Queens than Bronx

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NEW YORK — The Bronx and Queens are united by misery in June, but the Mets’ collapse more concerning than Yankees’ dip.

On the latest episode of The Show, baseball insiders Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman broke down the recent downturns of both the New York Yankees and New York Mets. Each club has stumbled into a summer skid, but as both analysts made clear, the Mets’ slide looks deeper, more systemic, and far more alarming.

Yankees’ slump fueled by injuries, sluggish bats

The Yankees (46-34) have lost nine of their last 13 games entering the final week of June. The offense, which leaned heavily on home run production earlier in the season, has gone quiet—particularly when Aaron Judge isn’t producing.

“When Judge goes quiet, the Yankees go quiet,” Sherman said. Despite a torrid campaign—Judge was hitting .361 with 28 home runs through late June—the lineup around him has faltered.

Sherman and Heyman noted that when the Yankees aren’t hitting home runs, they struggle to generate offense. Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt have all contributed power at times, but the team has been blanked in three consecutive games recently, a worrying sign of offensive fragility.

Injuries have also thinned out the rotation. With Gerrit Cole out for the season and Luis Gil sidelined again, the Yankees’ pitching staff is showing signs of strain.

“This rotation is paper-thin without Cole and Gil,” Sherman said. Heyman added, “It’s like playing with two fewer arms.”

While Carlos Rodon and Max Fried have held steady, back-end struggles and a leaky bullpen have raised alarms. Devin Williams, brought in to solidify the ninth inning, has been inconsistent, and the middle relief corps has repeatedly coughed up leads.

Still, the Yankees remain atop the American League East, bolstered by a top-heavy lineup and a division that hasn’t been particularly threatening.

Mets’ collapse runs deeper

The Mets (48-34), however, are in a far steeper freefall. After being 21 games over .500 earlier in the month, they have lost 10 of 13 and seen their once-potent offense unravel.

“They’ve completely flipped the script,” Sherman said. “It’s not just a slump. It’s structural.”

The offense has sputtered, averaging just over three runs per game during the slide. Chasing pitches outside the zone has become a glaring issue, with Pete Alonso and Ronny Mauricio among those expanding the strike zone.

“They’re chasing a lot,” Heyman noted. “It feels like every hitter is pressing.”

Outside of Juan Soto, Alonso, and Francisco Lindor, the lineup has collapsed. Players like Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, and Tyrone Taylor have gone cold, and Manager Carlos Mendoza has struggled to find a solution.

“They’re basically out of offensive weapons after the top four hitters,” Sherman said.

The pitching staff has also been ravaged by injuries. Kodai Senga underwent elbow surgery, Sean Manaea and Tylor Megill remain out, and the Mets have had to rely on journeymen like Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn to patch the rotation.

“This isn’t a playoff rotation right now,” Heyman said.

Bronx slump feels temporary, Queens’ slide existential

While both teams are reeling, Sherman and Heyman agree the Yankees’ situation seems salvageable. Their offense is top-heavy but still powerful. Injuries are a concern, but the structure is sound.

“They still have a ton of talent,” Sherman said. “Judge, Stanton, Goldschmidt—they’ll carry you through stretches.”

The Mets, on the other hand, are running out of runway. With limited rotation depth, a fading offense, and a brutal National League playoff field, their margin for error is shrinking.

“They’re surrounded by ten teams over .500,” Heyman said. “You don’t get to limp into the Wild Card with this schedule.”

Mendoza’s inexperience is starting to show, and while the hosts stopped short of questioning his future, they acknowledged he looks “a little wide-eyed” amid the chaos.

The Mets’ front office, led by David Stearns, may need to act fast. Trade deadline reinforcements—particularly in the bullpen—are now more necessity than luxury.

Bullpen help, schedule breaks, and trade rumblings

Both teams share one urgent need: bullpen arms. Sherman and Heyman pointed out that late-inning relief has doomed both clubs repeatedly in June. The Yankees have watched leads vanish. The Mets have failed to protect slim advantages.

While the Yankees’ front office has traditionally been aggressive, the Mets may need to break from their usual discipline and make a move, especially if July doesn’t bring a turnaround.

The schedule offers the Mets a potential reprieve with a softer July slate, including matchups against Pittsburgh and Miami. But if the offense doesn’t rebound and the pitching continues to hemorrhage, even a lighter stretch may not be enough.

“The Yankees can afford to stumble and still control the AL East,” Sherman said. “The Mets? They’re looking at a crowded Wild Card field and a roster that’s running on fumes.”

Despite similar records in recent weeks, Sherman and Heyman view the Yankees as bruised but fixable. The Mets? Possibly broken.

With the trade deadline looming and fan patience wearing thin, both teams will need to reassess quickly. But while the Yankees may just need a tune-up, the Mets might be due for major repairs.

What do you think?

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