The New York Mets were expected to field one of the most formidable offenses in baseball, especially after adding Juan Soto in the offseason to a lineup that already featured Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.
But the offense has been inconsistent at best. After a 2-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Mets analyst Marc Luino unloaded on hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, blaming them for the team’s continued struggles at the plate.
How Bad Is the New York Mets Offense Struggling?
The Mets’ offense has hit a new low. Since June 13, the Mets have posted a .677 OPS, the fifth-worst in MLB during that span, ranking 26th overall, according to FanGraphs. Only the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Guardians have been worse.
The Mets also rank a poor 27th in OBP with .298 and 25th in slugging, .379, during the same stretch, pointing to a lineup that’s neither getting on base nor doing the damage. Their situational hitting has been especially poor, with the Mets regularly squandering runners in scoring position and failing to build sustained rallies together.
The issues were clear during their recent 2-1 series loss against the Reds, when the Mets scored just nine runs in three games. Even Mets leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor is struggling. Since June 3, he has hit just .199 with a .609 OPS and a 74 wRC+, producing 26% below the league average.
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Lindor also went hitless in Game 2 against the Reds, continued with a 0-4 game on Sunday, and is currently on a 0-19 hitless streak.
Mets Hitting Coaches Blamed For Mark Vientos’ Struggles
Luino, the host of the Mets’d Up Podcast, took particular issue with third baseman Mark Vientos’s development. He called out the player’s flawed approach and the hitting coaches, Chauvin and Barnes, for their inability to adjust and fix the issue.
“Mark Vientos has the worst approach,” Luino said, but then shifted the blame to the coaches for failing to tune the hitter, saying, “Eric Chauvin and Jeremy Barnes can’t make any adjustments. They can’t fix anything mentally or mechanically.”
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Luino argued that hitters aren’t hunting damage pitches even in favorable counts and are settling for weak contact with bunts instead of driving hard.
“Get into a mental state with this guy [Vientos]. He’s broken. He’s not hitting the ball hard. His swing is slow as shit. He continues to swing at bad pitches,” Luino stated, questioning the coaching staff. “They can’t fix anything. How is there no adjustment being made at all?”
Vientos had a breakout year in 2024, but he’s been far from the same player in 2025. Before landing on the injured list in early June, he slashed just .230/.278/.400 with six home runs and a troubling 26% strikeout rate.
Since returning from injury, things have only gotten worse. Over his last 53 at-bats, Vientos is hitting at .208/.208/.283 with zero home runs, zero walks, and 14 strikeouts, a brutal run in an unreliable offense.
“Other teams have bad players; they make adjustments. They at least have good at-bats. The Mets’ bad players do not have good at-bats. They’re uncompetitive. And if they’re overmatched, they should not be on the Major League roster.”
What’s Next for the New York Mets?
While Lindor owned up blame for his part in the team’s struggles, it is far from the only concern for the Mets.
Soto, Alonso, and Lindor might be streaky sometimes, but Vientos and other underperforming role players are also part of the larger problem. This doesn’t feel like a slump; it’s slowly becoming a pattern.
With the 2025 MLB trade deadline fast approaching on July 31, the Mets have more than just pitching issues to sort. They may also need a reliable middle-of-the-order bat to keep postseason hopes alive.