David Stearns didn’t sugarcoat it.

Throughout his end-of-season press conference, the Mets ’ president of baseball operations pointed to his roster’s inability to prevent runs as a primary culprit in the team’s demise.

An inconsistent starting rotation that struggled to provide length and a defense that graded as one of MLB’s weaker units proved to be a costly combination for the Mets, whose monthslong collapse ended Sunday with them missing the postseason at 83-79.

“We came into this year with, deservedly so, very high expectations, and we didn’t come close to meeting them. I’m keenly aware of that,” Stearns said Monday at Citi Field, before confirming manager Carlos Mendoza would return .

“I’m the architect of the team. I’m responsible for it.”

Starting pitching appeared to b

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