Heading into the second half of the 2023 MLB season, the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres find themselves in deep waters.Expected to be fighting in the upper echelons of the National League following their offseason spending sprees, reality has been a rude awakening for both teams. The Mets and the Padres find themselves barely managing to stay afloat in their races for postseason berths.The current situation of both teams has prompted a discussion among MLB fans, on whether the Mets and the Padres struggling is good for baseball. The majority don’t seem to be too sympathetic towards the two struggling giants.Talkin’ Baseball@TalkinBaseball_Mets and Padres struggling is bad for baseball62321Mets and Padres struggling is bad for baseball https://t.co/KsmpR3FJeh"Mets and Padres struggling is bad for baseball," Talkin' BaseballParody Britt@VonnParody@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe No, it’s great for baseball.118@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe No, it’s great for baseball.Jerry Sullivan@_jerry_sullivan@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe Agreed - I was looking forward to a good start for both teams but it didn’t materialize. These long term contracts are going to be a problem@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe Agreed - I was looking forward to a good start for both teams but it didn’t materialize. These long term contracts are going to be a problemChristian Howard@ChristianH3742@TalkinBaseball_ @JomboyMedia @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe No, it’s great. It shows that it’s HOW you spend your money, not HOW MUCH you spend. Basically the Yankee’s since 20014@TalkinBaseball_ @JomboyMedia @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe No, it’s great. It shows that it’s HOW you spend your money, not HOW MUCH you spend. Basically the Yankee’s since 2001Ashley Hutcheson@Ahutchga1972@TalkinBaseball_ @shea_station @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe It’s amusing.24@TalkinBaseball_ @shea_station @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe It’s amusing.Max Fried Enthusiast@atlhoe12345@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe i think it’s pretty great3@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe i think it’s pretty great.@JonnyLa7_@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe Nah it’s funny because everyone in Jomboy Media chose the padres to win the division9@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe Nah it’s funny because everyone in Jomboy Media chose the padres to win the divisionJay R@JayRBP@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe It’s great for baseballWe get more competitive teams when the high spenders failIn an ideal world, we see shorter term deals as a result so we don’t have guys on the roster on the back end of their 10 year deals just rotting3@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe It’s great for baseballWe get more competitive teams when the high spenders failIn an ideal world, we see shorter term deals as a result so we don’t have guys on the roster on the back end of their 10 year deals just rottingBrandon@DaWink33@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe Maybe for a marketing standpoint but I for one like seeing different teams in the playoffs every year and not the same ones year after year8@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe Maybe for a marketing standpoint but I for one like seeing different teams in the playoffs every year and not the same ones year after yearKristaps Muse@KristapsMuse@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe It’s a good thing for us small market teams@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe It’s a good thing for us small market teamsMichael Notarstefano@NotarSD@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe I disagree. It's refreshing to see teams that have built from within and developed the farm have success over the Padres and Mets who thought they could spend their way to the top.251@TalkinBaseball_ @ChrisRose @TalkinJake @trevorplouffe I disagree. It's refreshing to see teams that have built from within and developed the farm have success over the Padres and Mets who thought they could spend their way to the top.New York Mets and San Diego Padres: What has gone wrong? The New York Mets' pitching staff emerged as the Achilles' heel of their season. The downward spiral began in March when Edwin Díaz, the highest-paid closer in all of baseball, underwent knee surgery due to an injury sustained during an exuberant celebration at the World Baseball Classic.Without Díaz, the Mets were forced to heavily rely on the trio of David Robertson, Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino. Initially, the bullpen managed to hold its ground. However, the absence of Díaz created a ticking clock, destined to run out eventually.Moreover, the New York Mets' already dire situation was aggravated by the inadequate performance of the starting rotation. With Justin Verlander sidelined for the first month, Max Scherzer struggling, and José Quintana absent for the first half of the season, the Mets faced a severe lack of consistency.To compound their woes, the Mets dealt with an inconsistent offense and questionable defense, adding to their laundry list of problems.The Padres, on the other hand, have Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts underperforming. For all their spending, San Diego’s playoff chances look extremely slim for the moment.The New York Mets, originally expected to be in the mix with the Atlanta Braves for the NL East title, sit 18.5 games behind first-place and fourth in the division. San Diego, on the other hand, sits in fourth place in the NL West, nine games behind division-leading Dodgers.