This past offseason, no teams were busier than the New York Mets and San Diego Padres.
The two teams met in the Wild Card Series last October, with San Diego emerging victorious in three games.
Over the winter, New York added Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and Jose Quintana, and even re-signed Brandon Nimmo.
San Diego brought in Xander Bogaerts, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Nelson Cruz, and Matt Carpenter.
However, both teams have struggled this season, and they both lost again on Thursday.
On Twitter, MLB insider Bob Nightengale commented on the shocking struggles of these teams, who were supposed to be powerhouses in the National League.
The #Mets lose again and are 36-45.
The Padres lose again and are 37-44.
The two teams with franchise-record payrolls and star power, who were supposed to meet in the NLCS, are a combined 28 games out of 1st place in the battle for the most underachieving team in #MLB history.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 30, 2023
The Padres coughed up a 4-0 lead on Thursday in their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park and fell by a final score of 5-4.
The Mets gave their ace Max Scherzer an early 2-0 lead, but ultimately squandered it late as the Milwaukee Brewers completed a 3-2 come-from-behind victory at Citi Field.
The Padres and Mets, not unlike the St. Louis Cardinals, have not had successful 2023 seasons by any stretch of the imagination.
These two teams were the top two Wild Cards in the National League in 2022, winning 101 and 89 games, respectively.
But baseball is rarely that simple, and this season has been a reminder that even the gaudiest rosters can struggle to a high degree, which is what the Mets and Padres have done this season.
In their places have risen teams such as the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks, two young upstart teams with big goals.
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