Mets Manager Buck Showalter Says He's 'Really Proud' Of Team After Demoralizing Week

The standards for the New York Mets are apparently a lot lower than most fans would expect.

Essentially, the Mets had one of the worst possible series an Major League Baseball team can have over the past few days.

With the team already struggling to live up to lofty expectations set by an exorbitant payroll, they went to Atlanta to take on the rival Braves in an important series.

And they got swept in unbelievably demoralizing fashion.

Thursday's game in particular was devastating. After opening up multiple leads, Orlando Arcia launched a game tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning, sending the Braves crowd into hysterics.

After a disappointing top of the 10th failed to produce a run, the Mets surrendered a walk-off homer to Ozzie Albies with two outs.

To lose a game that badly, especially one started by Justin Verlander, is rough. But to do it against your main rival for the division, while being swept, is absolutely brutal.

At that point, you'd expect the manager to have some harsh words for the players, especially for a bullpen that struggled significantly.

Instead, Buck Showalter bizarrely said he's "proud of" the team and how they've played.

There aren't a lot of moral victories in professional sports, but apparently they're still possible for the New York Mets.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 08: Justin Verlander #35 of the New York Mets reacts as he walks off the field in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 08, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

New York Mets Have A Lot Of Problems And No Real Answers

Showalter was clearly trying to say he doesn't think the struggles are from a lack of effort. Or from poor preparation.

But when you're spending $400 million, results are king. And the results have not been there.

The Mets now sit at 30-33 after the disastrous Braves series, 8.5 games out of first place. Perhaps even more importantly, they're now in fourth in the NL East, with a dismal -19 run differential.

With their best player, Pete Alonso, now headed to the Injured List after being hit by a pitch.

There's plenty of time to turn the season around. But with many of their top prospects already in the majors and a thin trade market, reinforcements may be hard to come by.

Quite simply, they need their players to perform better. At one point this season, their $130 million+ rotation had actually hurt the team.

READ: THE METS $130 MILLION ROTATION HAS ACTUALLY COST THE TEAM WINS

Francisco Lindor, Mark Canha, Starling Marte and Jeff McNeil have all played well below expectations too. And for the Mets to not be one of baseball's most expensive failures, that'll have to change quickly.

It's one thing to be proud of your guys, it's another to ignore just how bad things are going.