A pained expression crossed Brian Snitker’s face as he thought back to managing when the Atlanta Braves were 20 games out of first place during a hopeless August. 

The last time the Braves sat as far out of first place in the National League East as the Mets was at the end of the 2017 season, when they finished in a 26-game hole.

Since then, the Braves have captured a World Series trophy and five straight division titles, but winning isn’t a total mind eraser. 

“I try not to [remember],” Snitker said in the visitor’s dugout at Citi Field before his team’s 7-0 win over the Mets. “It wasn’t easy, I know that. A lot went on that season towards the end, but I like to forget.” 

The Mets won’t be able to forget this once-promising season fast enough.

Bad only has gotten worse with seven losses in the first nine games since dealing Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, David Robertson, Mark Canha and Tommy Pham before the trade deadline amounted to waving a white flag. 

“There’s almost a period of mourning that you have to get over,” manager Buck Showalter said before Friday’s game. “It doesn’t mean you don’t have those emotions — I have them — but you have a job to do, and there’s some things to be gleaned from a successful finish. I don’t think you are going to see these guys give in.” 

On one hand, the Braves provide hope for the Mets that better days can arrive quickly.

On the other, the Mets seemingly have been chasing the Braves for about 30 years, so why will the next five years look any different? 

Only one hitter in the Braves’ lineup (Ozzie Albies) for this low-buzz series-opener experienced their low of 2017 (when they still finished ahead of the Mets in the standings). 

The Braves’ turnaround from back-to-back 90-loss seasons to the current model of sustainability was a mixture of developing prospects Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, Michael Harris, Max Fried, Spencer Strider and Kyle Wright in the minor-leagues, trading for Matt Olson and Sean Murphy, signing Marcell Ozuna and Charlie Morton in free agency, and turning Travis d’Arnaud and Eddie Rosario into bargain-bin gems. 

“It took a while here. That’s for sure,” said Snitker, who took over as manager during the 2016 season. “When I got here, I didn’t foresee this coming. You have to have the right people — guys with the make-up and people that you trust. We’re very fortunate.” 

The Mets are trying to introduce a new core but only catcher Francisco Alvarez has looked the part so far. 

Brett Baty was sent down to Triple-A after struggling through 86 games, Mark Vientos is getting a second shot this season post-trade trade deadline and Ronny Mauricio is awaiting a call-up.

Prospects Luisangel Acuna, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford — all ranked top-seven in the Mets’ system by MLB.com — were acquired as part of the recent sell-off. 

Luisangel Acuna, 21, is the younger brother of Ronald Acuna Jr., who declined multiple requests to be interviewed about the future Met before Friday’s game in New York.

The 25-year-old front-runner for NL MVP previously told the Dallas Morning-News that Luisangel is “more advanced and better than I was at his age.” 

That’s a thought for Mets fans to cling to for hope considering that Ronald is hitting .340 with 26 home runs and 53 stolen bases in 113 games. 

“He’s one of those that on a nightly basis if you come to watch us play, you better not go get a beer or anything,” Snitker said, “because you might miss something really special on both sides of the ball. He should be getting all the accolades he is because heis putting together just a really solid overall year.” 

Even if Showalter is saying the same thing about Luisangel years from now, he probably still will feel pain thinking back on 2023.