The New York Mets (10-21) are packing their bags for a cross-country trip to the City of Angels, where they'll face the Los Angeles Angels (12-20) in a three-game series that feels more like a reset button than a showdown. After a brutal start to the season—one of the three worst in franchise history—a change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered.

Let's be real: this isn't the lovable loser vibe of the 1962 Mets, an expansion team that no one expected to win. No, these 2026 Mets were supposed to be contenders. Fans were told not to worry as cornerstone players were traded away or left without offers. This was supposed to be the first true vision of a new front office. Instead, we've got a lineup that sometimes looks less like a baseball team and more like a quartet of toddlers in a trench coat trying to pass as a big leaguer.

Things feel pretty terrible right now, and even small issues seem magnified. Take Carl Edwards Jr.—the same fans who laughed at his signing in the offseason were lamenting his designation for assignment yesterday. If the key to this season's success was Carl Edwards Jr., we've all made some serious miscalculations.

But the real problems run deeper. While Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes have been bright spots, and Freddy Peralta is pitching to his career norms, the other two spots in the rotation have been atrocious. With Kodai Senga on the Injured List and David Peterson struggling mightily in his first start in weeks, the Mets desperately need to shore up the back end of their rotation. Help is on the way: Christian Scott will start the series opener, making his season debut after an encouraging first outing. It's a small step, but for a team that needs a spark, every pitch counts.