![\"Mets](\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=1220,height=813,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MLB-NLCS-New-York-Mets-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-mark-vientos-24546166.jpg\")
Griffin Canning falters again as concerns grow<\/h2>\n
Pitchers go through ups and downs, but Griffin Canning\u2019s recent trend is starting to feel more like a red flag than a hiccup.<\/p>\n
After a surprisingly strong start to his Mets tenure, Canning has now turned in back-to-back lackluster outings. On Wednesday, he couldn\u2019t command the strike zone against one of the league\u2019s weakest offenses.<\/p>\n
He allowed four hits and four walks over just three innings, leading to five runs\u2014only three of them earned, but damaging nonetheless.<\/p>\n
With only three strikeouts and an overreliance on breaking pitches, it seems opponents may be catching on. In just 5.2 innings across his last two starts, he\u2019s given up six runs and shown signs of losing his edge.<\/p>\n
Think of it like a magician repeating the same trick: eventually, the audience catches on.<\/p>\n
Despite the struggles, his season ERA still sits at a respectable 3.23. But if the Mets are to make a serious postseason push, they\u2019ll need Canning to rediscover his early-season form\u2014and quickly.<\/p>\n Mark Vientos has been a puzzle the Mets haven\u2019t quite solved. After battling through an abdominal injury and struggling on both sides of the ball, he entered Wednesday\u2019s game slashing a rough .190\/.320\/.381 over his last seven games.<\/p>\n Then came the moment Mets fans had been waiting for.<\/p>\n Trailing 5-0, Vientos launched a three-run homer that brought the Mets within striking distance. It was a flash of the potential that made him such an exciting prospect\u2014but flashes don\u2019t win pennants.<\/p>\n He also struck out three times, underscoring the inconsistency that has plagued his season.<\/p>\n His OPS remains a modest .690, and while the home run was a step in the right direction, it\u2019s far from a sign that he\u2019s turned the corner.<\/p>\n Still, a power swing like that offers hope.<\/p>\n Defense doesn\u2019t always show up on the highlight reel, but when it fails, it\u2019s impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n The Mets\u2019 usually reliable fielding had a rare off day. Two errors\u2014one a throwing mistake by Brett Baty, the other a misplay by Jeff McNeil\u2014came back-to-back in the second inning and directly led to two unearned runs.<\/p>\n Those runs might have seemed minor at the time, but they loomed larger as the Mets tried to claw back.<\/p>\n Baseball is a game of inches and split-second decisions. Plays like these often go unnoticed in wins, but in losses, they sting. If the Mets want to keep pace in the unforgiving NL East, avoiding these mental lapses is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n Even the best teams stumble. The key now is how the Mets respond. Will they let this loss define them\u2014or fuel their fire?<\/p>\n Mets have a top five reliever in baseball \u2014 and it\u2019s not the one you think<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After a hot streak, the Mets stumbled against the White Sox on Wednesday, raising questions about Griffin Canning and the defense despite Vientos’ homer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":58286,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Mets](\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=1250,height=858,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MLB-New-York-Mets-at-Arizona-Diamondbacks-Griffin-Canning-26101619.jpg\")
Vientos finds his swing but remains a work in progress<\/h2>\n
Costly defensive mistakes dim the comeback hopes<\/h2>\n
Popular reading:<\/h2>\n