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Mets fans' patience is running thin with David Stearns
New York Mets fans are fed up with President of Baseball Operations David Stearns. Not only did he construct one of the most disappointing rosters in franchise history, but he came off as smug while explaining his decision.
The Mets finished 74-88, last in the NL East, meaning President of Baseball Operations David Stearns was forced to account for his errors during his end-of-season press conference.
Mets president David Stearns said his offseason decisions created an “uncapped downside scenario,” sparking backlash from fans
Instead of being genuine and contrite, though, Stearns came across as robotic and smug.
“We and I made a number of decisions that created the potential for an uncapped downside scenario”
David Stearns discusses the lessons he learned from the start to the 2026 season for the Mets pic.twitter.com/DUxoPG2KRM
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 28, 2026
“We and I made a number of decisions that created the potential for almost an uncapped downside scenario,” he said. “We had a lot of change. I think that change in New York is probably different than change in other markets.”
Fans piled on after SNY Mets shared the quote, with one reading, “when I’m in an Ivy League quarter zip baseball executive word soup competition and my opponent is David Stearns.”
when I’m in an Ivy League quarter zip baseball executive word soup competition and my opponent is David Stearns https://t.co/mHCMkI9Pru pic.twitter.com/YIzdxDZNEx
— Tipping Pitches (@tipping_pitches) September 28, 2026
“I hate when I make decisions that create the potential for an uncapped downside scenario,” one fan wrote.
I hate when I make decisions that create the potential for an uncapped downside scenario https://t.co/SPaJ4cFuAO
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) September 28, 2026
“I mean who among us has never created the potential for an uncapped downside scenario,” another said.
Another fan called it an exhausting bit, saying the phrasing has no place in baseball. Stearns did take responsibility, but the fans have decided the season’s real casualty was plain English.
If you were writing an SNL parody about a soulless, dickless company dweeb who papers over his incompetence with insane corporate-speak, you would have him say things like this. https://t.co/PRu3tMi8hZ
— Matthew Tuthill (@MCTuthill) September 28, 2026
Stearns did provide some actual reasoning for the Mets’ shortcomings this season, citing a roster without enough flexibility, early injuries to Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, and a brutal 12-game losing streak in the Spring.
“If we look at last offseason, we missed too much,” he said, adding that the late-season improvement gave him a foundation to build on.
The Mets carried a payroll north of $350 million, making them one of the most expensive failures in baseball history.