How worried should the Mets and other underachieving MLB teams be?

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How worried should the Mets and other underachieving MLB teams be?

Joey Mistretta, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Apr 20, 2026 ·

4 min read

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We are now a few weeks into the 2026 MLB season. While it is far too early to completely overreact to teams' performances, there are many ball clubs that are struggling at the moment. For example, the New York Mets are in the middle of an 11-game losing streak as of this story's writing. Today, we are going to look at five underachieving teams and address what their level of concern should be.

New York Mets

The Mets are struggling to say the least. The pitching has been inconsistent while the offense has been nothing short of dreadful. Overall, the Mets are 7-15 and in last place in the National League East standings.

New York is currently 29th in all of MLB in total runs scored and 29th in OPS. Stars such as Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette have yet to get things going in 2026. Hitting home runs has been a problem, as the Mets are just 27th in total long balls.

It is only April, but the Mets' level of concern is higher than some other teams. Juan Soto's injury absence cannot be ignored, but this team still features too much talent to be playing like they are right now.

It isn't time to panic, as a good week could instantly place the Mets back in contention. However, there is some reason to worry for Mets fans. This team needs to figure things out soon, or a rebuild at the trade deadline in July could become a reality.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are another team that has talent but has underperformed. Philadelphia is 8-13 and in fourth place in the NL East.

Philadelphia's lineup has been fine. The team is third in runs scored. Pitching has been the problem in Philadelphia.

The Phillies' 4.84 team ERA is 28th in MLB. They have surrendered the highest batting in the league as well. Giving up a lot of hits and runs obviously is not a recipe for success.

Still, Zack Wheeler is going to return at some point. Many of their underperforming starting pitchers will likely get back on track sooner rather than later.

The Phillies should be fine. There isn't much reason for concern with the ball club despite their difficult start to the season.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox had lofty expectations after they bolstered their starting rotation during the offseason. The Sonny Gray acquisition has not worked out so far, though, as he has struggled for the most part. Gray also left Monday's game with a hamstring injury .

Boston is 21st overall in ERA. The Red Sox have still had some good moments on the mound, and Garrett Crochet features the ceiling of one of the best pitchers in the sport.

Offensively, the Red Sox are eighth in runs scored. They are not hitting for much power, though, as they rank 29th in home runs and 27th in slugging percentage.

At 8-13 and in last place in the American League East, Boston still should be alright. With that being said, the Red Sox will want to avoid falling too far behind in the rather deep AL East division.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays won the American League last year. Toronto was poised for a big offseason after the World Series appearance. While the Blue Jays were linked to many star free agents, they did not end up bringing in as many as some expected. Sure, they were able to sign Dylan Cease . Nevertheless, the offseason felt somewhat disappointing.

Fast forward to mid-April and Toronto is 8-13 and tied with Boston for last place in the AL East.

The team has been fairly mediocre in many statistics. The pitching has been underwhelming, as it ranks 23rd in ERA and 23rd in batting average allowed in MLB. The good news is that Trey Yesavage is working his way back from injury.

Toronto is in a similar position to Boston. There is no need to panic, but they cannot afford to fall too far back in the AL East.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners were a popular pick to reach the World Series out of the American League heading into 2026. Yet, they are 10-13 and in fourth place in the American League West.

However, out of every team in this story, I am the least concerned about Seattle.

The Mariners' pitching is simply too deep to produce a bad team. Bryan Woo and George Kirby have performed well, while Logan Gilbert will surely improve.

A number of Seattle's star offensive players have struggled to begin the season. Julio Rodriguez , Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor are all performing well below their expectations. The chances of all three of those players continuing to struggle at an alarming rate are extremely slim.

It has been a difficult few weeks for the Mariners, but they are going to be fine.

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