It is no secret that the New York Mets are struggling. They were recently swept by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. New York has now dropped 11 consecutive games heading into their upcoming series against the Minnesota Twins. Some of the MLB world is placing the blame on manager Carlos Mendoza, but former player AJ Pierzynski does not believe the losing streak is Mendoza's fault. The two-time All-Star catcher recently addressed the Mendoza situation, via Foul Territory.
"It's not on him (Mendoza)," Pierzynski said. "He's doing everything he can with what he was given."
Mendoza, 46, became the manager of the Mets in 2024. New York earned 89 victories in his first season and it seemed as if the ball club had its manager of the future.
2025 did not go according to plan. The Mets fell short of their goals, earning just 83 wins and missing the postseason. It was a failure of a season, but there was still a belief in Mendoza for the most part. It did not seem as if he was receiving most of the blame.
Rather, the team's underperformance was called out by many. Injuries also played a role.
This past offseason saw the Mets have ups and downs. They lost stars such as Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz in MLB free agency. However, New York also signed stars such as Bo Bichette and Devin Williams. The roster construction was questionable with Bichette moving to third base -- a position he had never played before in MLB.
Still, there was no question the ball club had talent. The question was whether or not Mendoza could put the pieces of the puzzle together and help the ball club win games.
Carlos Mendoza and the Mets in 2026
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
In all reality, Mendoza has done just about all he can do. Has he been the perfect manager this year? No, but the Mets' immense struggles are certainly not his fault. The offense is near the bottom of the league in many crucial offensive statistics. Francisco Lindor is hitting just .205 while Bichette has recorded a .217 batting average. Only one player on the team has more than two home runs as of this story's publication (Francisco Alvarez with four).
Perhaps the hitting coach should be getting more blame? Regardless, the Mets' struggles are not all Carlos Mendoza's fault. Pierzynski's take is not only fair, it is correct.
The harsh reality is that managers often get most of the blame when teams struggle and not much credit when teams find success. That reality goes across most team sports, not only baseball.
