Stephen A. Smith delivered a fiery verdict on the New York Mets after their disappointing season. The ESPN personality called the franchise a “baseball abomination” during First Take after New York was eliminated from postseason contention for a second straight season.
The Mets lost three consecutive games to Baltimore, with the first defeat officially eliminating them from playoff contention. Former Mets star Pete Alonso then homered in each of the next two games during his return to Citi Field. Smith’s criticism centered on Steve Cohen and David Stearns, and he also pointed to Chris Christie as someone the organization should be listening to.
Why Stephen A. Smith unloaded on the Mets
Smith’s comments followed a disastrous stretch for a team that entered 2026 with significant expectations. The Mets were officially eliminated from the postseason after Monday’s 2-1 loss to Baltimore, ending their playoff hopes for the second consecutive season.
On Wednesday’s First Take, Smith argued that the organization’s leadership deserves responsibility for the decline. He specifically called for Stearns to be fired and criticized Cohen, describing the Mets as a team that had failed to deliver the product its supporters deserved.
Smith also brought Christie into the discussion. Christie, a longtime Mets fan and member of the organization’s board of directors, has been described as an adviser to Cohen. Smith said he knows Christie personally and believes the Mets have not been listening to his baseball opinions.
The criticism comes as the Mets face questions about how they respond after another season without a postseason appearance. Smith’s remarks drew additional attention to the roles of Stearns, Cohen, and other figures involved in shaping the organization’s baseball decisions.
The Mets’ results have made the criticism harder to ignore
The numbers behind Smith’s frustration are stark. Entering Friday, New York was 69-84, sitting fifth in the National League East and 20 games behind Atlanta, with a minus-46 run differential.
The Mets also entered Friday having lost five straight games. Their recent slide included a three-game sweep by Baltimore, with New York being outscored 16-7 across the series and managing only seven hits in Wednesday’s 7-1 loss.
The broader season has created a difficult contrast with the Mets’ recent history. New York reached the National League Championship Series in 2024, but the club missed the postseason in 2025 and was eliminated again in 2026, leaving the organization facing another offseason of questions about roster construction and leadership.
Pete Alonso’s return amplified the Mets’ frustration
Few developments could have highlighted the Mets’ problems more sharply than Alonso’s return to Citi Field. The longtime first baseman signed with Baltimore during the offseason after seven seasons in New York, and Mets fans greeted him warmly when the Orioles arrived for a three-game series.
Alonso then produced one of the most memorable moments of the season against his former team. On Tuesday, he hit his 300th career home run in the ninth inning to tie the game, and Baltimore eventually won 7-5 in 11 innings.
Alonso added another home run on Wednesday, his 37th of the season, during Baltimore’s 7-1 victory. MLB reported that the Orioles completed the sweep while remaining in the American League Wild Card race, turning Alonso’s homecoming into a three-game showcase against his former club.
The timing made Alonso’s production especially notable for a Mets team already dealing with the disappointment of another missed postseason. His back-to-back home runs also gave the series an added storyline, as the former Mets star delivered major moments while helping Baltimore strengthen its playoff position.
Fun fact: Pete Alonso played college baseball at the University of Florida, where he hit .500 with five home runs during the 2016 NCAA Tournament. He was named the Gainesville Regional’s Most Outstanding Player before the Mets selected him 64th overall that June.
Fan reaction has added another layer to the story
The reaction inside Citi Field became part of the conversation during Alonso’s return. Mets fans repeatedly cheered his name, including after his 300th home run, even as the milestone put Baltimore in a position to beat New York.
Mets players acknowledged how unusual the atmosphere felt. MLB reported that pitcher Sean Manaea said he had never seen anything like the crowd response, while also emphasizing that the Mets players were continuing to work through the season.
The reaction reflected the complicated relationship between Alonso and the franchise. His seven-year Mets tenure ended with him holding the team’s home run record, while his first season with Baltimore has given New York fans an immediate comparison point during another disappointing campaign.
What Smith’s comments say about the Mets’ current situation
Smith’s language was deliberately forceful, but the underlying criticism focused on the organization’s decisions. His demand for changes involving Stearns and Cohen reflects a broader debate about how the Mets have constructed and managed the roster during a period when the club expected to contend.
Stearns was hired to lead baseball operations after helping build a successful Milwaukee Brewers organization. Under his leadership, the Mets reached the 2024 NLCS, but the club has not returned to the postseason since that run.
The immediate reality is that the Mets have moved from postseason disappointment to a second consecutive year outside the playoffs. With the 2026 season nearing its end, Smith’s “baseball abomination” label has become the sharpest expression of a much larger conversation about expectations, execution, and accountability in Queens.
TL;DR
- Stephen A. Smith called the Mets a “baseball abomination” and criticized Steve Cohen and David Stearns.
- New York entered Friday at 69-84 after a five-game losing streak and a three-game sweep by Baltimore.
- Pete Alonso hit his 300th career home run against the Mets and added another homer the following night.
- Alonso’s return to Citi Field intensified the attention surrounding the Mets’ second straight season without a playoff berth.
- Smith also referenced Mets board member Chris Christie while arguing that the organization needs to listen to different baseball voices.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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