Overview
- Stephen A. Smith, who ranted on ESPN’s First Take Wednesday, repeatedly called the New York Mets “trash,” urged leadership changes and then stormed off the set as the show went to break.
- The rant followed a home loss that eliminated the Mets from postseason contention after their Sept. 14 defeat and capped a disappointing 2026 season marked by a roughly .238 team batting average and a 4.16 ERA.
- Pete Alonso returned to Citi Field as a Baltimore Oriole, hit the 300th homer of his career and received a curtain call that many fans used to express anger at the Mets’ front office for letting him leave.
- Smith singled out president of baseball operations David Stearns and told owner Steve Cohen to fire his baseball operations director, while saying the team ‘isn't listening’ to board adviser Chris Christie.
- The combination of poor results, public fan protest and high-profile media pressure raises the likelihood of renewed calls for personnel moves and clearer accountability from ownership before the 2027 season.