The New York Mets have hit a full-blown early-season crisis, with manager Carlos Mendoza openly acknowledging his clubhouse is "pissed" and "frustrated" as an offence packed with high-priced talent continues to fire blanks.
Speaking after another listless week at the plate, Mendoza offered one of the most unvarnished public assessments of a Mets team in recent memory, refusing to shield stars Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil and the rest of a lineup that was supposed to carry one of the highest payrolls in the National League.
"It's not a good showing right now," Mendoza said. "They're pissed, frustrated, obviously not happy about it."
The Mets manager then did what few in his position dare to do — he named the symptom without flinching.
"We're not doing damage on pitches in the strike zone, guys are being passive, guys are getting ahead of us," Mendoza said. "Guys have got to start playing better. It's as simple as that. They're too talented."
At the centre of the worry sits Lindor. The franchise cornerstone, locked into a long-term contract, is struggling to find rhythm at the plate and running into uncomfortable moments on the bases that have sparked questions about focus.
Mendoza refused to point the finger at the effort level, even as he admitted the results are impossible to explain.
"[Francisco Lindor's] the same guy. He shows up. He prepares. He works as hard as anybody," Mendoza said. "It's weird because that's not [Francisco Lindor]. It's hard to explain."
Lindor, when asked, did not dress up his own form either.
"If we don't score runs, it's hard to win," the shortstop said.
"Not sure," he added when pressed on his own struggles. "I feel like I'm locked in. I feel like I'm in the game. It just happens."
A costly baserunning miscue during one of the week's losses drew particular attention. Lindor took responsibility without ducking the specifics.
"I went after the ball and Marcus was there and didn't make it to second base," he said.
He also spoke directly to the wider frustration inside the clubhouse, referencing pitcher McLean who gave his team little to show for a strong outing.
"You wish we could have gotten it done for [McLean] — and for everyone else here," Lindor said.
Hitting coach Bo Bichette, brought in to jolt an underperforming lineup, acknowledged the slump had surprised even him.
"It's surprising, but you go through these things — maybe this is a bit extreme, probably," he said.
Outfielder Jeff McNeil, whose departure has been a persistent thread of speculation, pushed back on any suggestion he has not cared enough.
"I played hard, I played with passion every single day. I'm a fiery guy, but you know I cared," McNeil said.
The Mets now face a schedule that offers little reprieve, with division rivals circling and patience among fans wearing thin. Mendoza has bought himself nothing with bluntness — except the respect of a clubhouse that now has no ambiguity about where the problem sits.
"Guys have got to start playing better," he said again. "It's as simple as that."
For a team built to contend, the next two weeks may decide a season.