It was May 29, 2024. Reliever Jorge López had just allowed a two-run home run to Shohei Ohtani, then followed it up with a heated argument with third-base umpire Ramon De Jesus over a checked-swing call on Freddie Freeman. López was ejected and stormed off the field, taking off his glove and throwing it into the stands. It was one of the wildest moments in Mets history.Drama flared throughout the clubhouse following the 9-3 loss, which dropped the Mets to 22-33.“No, I don’t regret it. I think I’ve been on the worst team in probably the whole f---ing MLB," López told SNY reporter Steve Gelbs. The controversy spread like wildfire across social media, feeding into the "LOLMets" narrative. López was DFA’d shortly after, later claiming he actually said he was the "worst teammate."— SNY (@SNYtv) May 30, 2024Following the loss, Francisco Lindor led a players-only meeting. That’s when the magic struck.After that meeting, the Mets completely turned their season around, going 67-40 the rest of the way to secure a playoff berth. From there, the Mets battled to the NLCS before losing to the Dodgers in six games — signaling what the future could hold for the franchise.Fast forward a few chapters later, where Juan Soto moved to Queens, while Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz were pushed out the door — followed by a historic collapse in 2025. It almost feels like déjà vu has struck again, with the Mets sitting at 22-32 on May 26.All hope currently feels lost. Fans are restless, showering the struggling Mets with boos every chance they get. The addition of Bo Bichette is beginning to look worse than the Jason Bay signing, and it’s almost time to wave the white flag. Or is it?It’s only May. There are still several months left for the Mets to somehow complete their second miraculous comeback in three years.Look at it this way. On June 13 last season, the Mets held an MLB-best 45-24 record and had a 96.2% chance to make the playoffs. Instead, disaster struck Queens, as a 38-55 stretch after mid-June kept them out of the postseason.So, could the Mets right the ship and potentially return to the “Ya Gotta Believe” group that fought its way through a historic 2024 season? Is it likely? No.But in baseball, anything can happen.“It’s no longer early”Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) watches from the dugout during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. | Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesIt would be ridiculous to sit here and claim the Mets roster is currently capable of competing. It has been one of the most disappointing starts in franchise history. An offense that is asleep at the wheel, with injury upon injury stacking up. From their Opening Day starting lineup alone, the Mets currently are without four of their nine offensive starters.The irony of it all: on May 18, the Mets completed a dominant 16-7 victory over the Nationals in Washington, where they tacked on 10 runs in the 12th inning. It was a historic feat, becoming the first National League team to do so since the Reds in 1919. Instantly, the parade was back on — the Mets had won six of their last seven games, holding an impressive 11-5 record through May, putting them just five games under .500. However, the dream of playing even baseball was quickly shot down after a pathetic series in Miami, where the offense totaled just 11 hits and two runs over three games, followed by a 7-2 loss on Memorial Day to the Reds in which promising rookie Nolan McLean got shelled for a second straight outing."There’s so much I could sit here and say, but if we worry, we’ve got to go out and do it ourselves," manager Carlos Mendoza said following Monday's loss (h/t SNY). "We’re not putting ourselves in good positions. It’s not early anymore. Whatever I say here doesn’t matter, we’ve got to go out there and do it.""There's so much I could sit here and say that we worry - we've got to go out and do it ourselves. We're not putting ourselves in good positions. It's not early anymore. Whatever I say here doesn't matter, we've got to go out there and do it"- Carlos Mendoza pic.twitter.com/snMdEdBxCQ— SNY (@SNYtv) May 25, 2026It sounds as if their manager is defeated, a sign that weakness is trickling through the clubhouse. Could they light a fire under the organization by making a managerial change? Who knows, but still, there are 108 more games to be played. The Mets completely demolished their promising start last season. Who’s to say they can’t salvage this season?What the Mets need to doMets second baseman Marcus Semien scores the game winning run during the tenth inning against the Yankees at Citi Field. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesFor starters, injuries have taken a crushing toll on the Mets' lineup. Losing Juan Soto just two weeks into the season was a big-time blow, followed by losing Lindor on April 22 — the day Soto returned to the lineup- when they erased their 12-game losing streak. As mentioned before, the Mets caught a wave of luck, holding an 11-5 record in May before their second collapse of the season, thanks to the energy provided by the rookies.Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have already demonstrated why the Mets need to rely on the young guys. When Soto was present in the lineup with them, there seemed to be a new shift in fight, authority, and energy. If the Mets can somehow find that rhythm again over the next few days, they can ride it into June, when Lindor is expected back.Lindor took part in baseball activities on Monday and was seen on the field completing warm-ups. With his return expected in June, along with the potential additions of Jorge Polanco and Francisco Alvarez, the lineup could finally be whole again for the first time since Opening Day weekend.In 2024, Lindor was the key to their resurgence, slashing .304/.374/.554 with a stellar .928 OPS, along with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs. Production like this could completely lift the Mets offense off the ground, joining a red-hot Juan Soto, as well as rookies Benge and Ewing.The Mets need to start chipping away at their losing record, however. The biggest advantage for them is the expanded playoff format, where they currently stand 7.5 games back in the NL wild-card race.It has been a wacky start to the season, with the entire NL Central currently in the playoff picture. As of right now, the Mets are projected to finish the season with a 58-50 record the rest of the way, according to Fangraphs — putting them at 80-82 overall.Magic needs to happen, and it needs to happen fast. Win ballgames, catch a rhythm — ya gotta believe.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow