Mets owner Steve Cohen responds to team's disastrous June: 'I didn't see this coming'

After a fantastic start to the season, the New York Mets are scuffling. The team opened the season 45-24 though its first 69 games, but now finds itself stuck in a 3-13 stretch.

The team's recent stretch reached an extreme low point Sunday, as the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates completed a sweep over the Mets with a 12-1 drubbing. That loss also came after a players-only meeting aimed at getting the team back on track.

On Monday, it was owner Steve Cohen's job to calm everyone down. Cohen issued a response to the team's recent poor play on X, saying he was caught off guard, but believes things will turn around soon.

Cohen's full response read:

"Tough stretch, no sugarcoating it. I didn't see this coming. I'm as frustrated as everybody else. We will get through this period. Our injured pitching will come back over the next few weeks. It is unlikely the team's hitting with RISP will continue at this weak pace. Keep the faith!"

It's a surprising statement for any MLB owner to make publicly, but it's fairly normal when it comes to Cohen. Among MLB owners, he's easily the most open and available. He's engaged with fans a handful of times on social media, and appears earnest in his responses. His openness and willingness to act like a fan has made him an endearing figure in the baseball world. 

It also helps that Cohen knows the game — or at least has someone giving him good information. After an excellent start to the season, it would be foolish to think the Mets are suddenly one of the worst teams in the majors. Despite the June swoon, the team still has a +39 run differential, the second best in the National League East. While the Philadelphia Phillies have taken over first place in the division, the Mets sit just 1.5 games out. It's been a tough stretch, but the sky isn't falling in New York.

As Cohen points out, the Mets are unlikely to continue at this pace. The team should get a boost once Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are ready to return. Both pitchers are battling injuries, though are still a few weeks away. 

In addition to that, the Mets are hitting just .217 with runners in scoring position on the season. That figure is the second-worst in the majors. Only the Chicago White Sox have been worse. In Chicago's case, the team's struggles are understandable. The White Sox are coming off literally the worst-ever season in baseball. While the team has performed better this season, it isn't good. 

The Mets, on the other hand, entered the year as World Series contenders. They should be performing much better with runners in scoring position on the season, so it seems likely the team will experience positive regression moving forward. There's no logical reason a team with Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor is hitting worse than the Colorado Rockies or Pirates with runners in scoring position. 

That doesn't mean Cohen and the Mets are infallible. Pitching injuries have forced the team to dig deep into its depth. Getting Senga and Manaea back should help, but it shouldn't prevent the Mets from looking into a rotation upgrade at the deadline. 

The same thing can be said on offense. While the Mets' 110 wRC+ ranks seventh in MLB, the team has big offensive holes at third base and second base. Finding a suitable upgrade at either position at the deadline would go a long way toward making the Mets a more dangerous playoff contender.

Given the franchise, it's very easy to slip back into the "same old Mets" mantra. But that's been an outdated slogan since Cohen took over. No, the Mets haven't won a World Series in the Cohen era, but they've entered every season with high expectations. 

Those shouldn't fade with the team mired in a poor 16-game stretch. And if, for some reason, the Mets continue to struggle into July, Cohen won't just sit by idly and let them fail.