The New York Mets find themselves caught between urgency and uncertainty as the postseason looms, their 78-74 record leaving them just 1.5 games ahead of Arizona for the final Wild Card spot. Juan Soto’s home run in Wednesday’s 7-4 loss to San Diego couldn’t prevent another painful defeat, dropping their magic number to nine with ten games remaining. While Soto’s passionate words ring through the clubhouse, manager Carlos Mendoza faces hard decisions that could define October’s narrative.

Soto’s urgency extends beyond his own performance to the team’s broader roster decisions. “We cannot wait for tomorrow,” he declared to teammates, adding, “Windows close fast in baseball, and excuses won’t get you to the playoffs.” And his words could easily apply to Kodai Senga’s situation.

The dismal performance of the struggling starter of 6.56 ERA in his 35.2 major league innings has left just the kind of situation Soto cautions about: Time is running out, and questions remain unresolved regarding how prepared the organization will be in October.

Mendoza’s measured response reveals the weight of these decisions. “I wouldn’t say definitely,” Mendoza said when asked about Senga’s postseason inclusion. “I think we’ll have the conversations and we’ll take the best 13 guys that we feel are going to give us the best chance to win baseball games in October. In the meantime, we got ten more, and we’ll continue to treat it that way. But Senga, I think the biggest thing is for him to go out there today and have an excellent performance, and then we have decisions there.”

This straightforward attitude reveals just how much the front office believes that results matter more than talent.

The promising Syracuse performance of Senga, one run received in six innings with eight punch outs, gives some light at the end of the tunnel, but Mendoza is not promising anything for the endgame.

Baseball Operations President David Stearns would later reiterate this philosophy. “Results always matter,” he said. “He has to prove that he can consistently get major-league hitters out.” Those words carry more weight because the former Three Rivers pitcher threw up nightmarish numbers last year: A 6.56 ERA, dying in the midst of his third-season fight, having gone through 35.2 innings before he was sent back to the minors. His August meltdown, with 39 hits surrendered to opposing hitters and eight sent over the fence, left scars that won’t heal with one good Triple-A outing.

The Senga debate will continue brewing in the background, but immediate concerns demand attention. With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the Mets must focus on what they can control today.

Mets face a critical Thursday test

The front office is weighing the future of Senga, but there is no time to consider speculations about the roster- Thursday, we face a reality check of death or glory. The Mets enter a 1:10 p.m. season finale against San Diego at Citi Field with the burden of a season on their shoulders. Francisco Lindor will be at the head of this pivotal battle, and the power bat of the team, Pete Alonso, will anchor the core of the order.

Every swing counts that valuable 1.5-game lead over Arizona in the final Wild Card. Young Jonah Tong receives his fourth career start, and pressure indeed—the 22-year-old lefty is still haunted by his nightmare in Texas, where he could not make it out of the first inning, allowing six earned runs in barely two-thirds of an inning.

San Diego is not giving up without a struggle. Randy Vasquez goes to the Padres’ mound with something to prove; his record of 5-6 and 3.72 ERA demonstrates that he is a person who can stand and deliver in a pressure situation. Furthermore, a lineup with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado is a nightmare to any pitcher. The math is brutal and simple.

Cincinnati and San Francisco are breathing down their necks, right behind them, just two games behind, and about to attack any slip-up. A single poor inning by Tong can shatter all the Mets’ hopes for the season.