Today’s Team….New York Mets
How Did They Get Eliminated
On the final day of the season when all they would need to do is beat the Marlins to make the playoffs (and get some help from the Brewers) they would end up losing to the Marlins 4-0. So once again in game 162 the Marlins beat the Mets and a team is celebrating in Milwaukee. Oh, boy do we have a lot to talk about with this team so let’s get right to it.
What Do I Know About This Team Because I Only Follow the Brewers
The Mets stole the soul of the Brewers last year in the playoffs and then made a run to the NLCS before getting eliminated by the Dodgers. They then went and spent the most money ever and tried to buy themself a path to the World Series.
They signed Juan Soto to a huge contract to get him away from the Yankees and then even though no one thought it would be possible they signed Pete Alonso to a 2 year contract to keep him in New York. This boosted their already high payroll to the highest in the league. Somehow finding a way to spend more than the Dodgers.
And it paid off for the first part of the season. On June 10th they had the best record in the National League and a 5 game lead in the NL East. Then things started to slide. They would lose 13 of their final 15 games in June. They bounced back in July which included a 7 game winning streak. Then August came and they would play against the Brewers.
The Brewers riding their 6 game winning streak would win number 7 when Blake Perkins would throw out the game tying run at the plate to end the game. The next day when the Brewers got win number 8 the Mets would blow a lead. Then when the Brewers got win number 9 in a row they would come back from a 5-0 deficit and then Issac Collins would hit a lead-off walk off home run. Those just felt like the Mets way to lose games at a time when they were struggling to find wins.
They would lose 8 straight games in September and were clinging to that final spot, trying to hold off the Giants and the Reds. But in the end it was the Reds who would catch the Mets. While the Mets were losing 2 of 3 to the lowly Nationals the Reds were sweeping the Cubs in a 4 game set.
Despite winning a series against the Cubs they would lose a series against the Marlins and the Reds would win their series and sneak into the playoffs.
The Mets would go 40-55 after they had the best record in the National League. Because the Tigers made the playoffs and because the Mets are in a bigger market this collapse will be considered the biggest one this season. Especially when you take into consideration the payroll.
So Now That I’ve Actually Done Some Research What Happened to this Team
After the All-Star Break 25th Team ERA, 12 of 23 in save opportunities, batters hit .257 24th worst in the majors. They blew 28 saves on the season
A lot of the troubles overall look like they are going back to their pitching, especially in the second half of the season. After the All-Star break they were 25th in team ERA, were 12 of 23 in save opportunities and opponents batted .257 against their pitching staff which was 6 worst in the league. Overall the blew 28 saves on the season.
They also didn’t get a lot of good starts out of their staff as they were 28th in Quality Starts which probably taxed their relief corps later in the season.
They have a perplexing run differential especially in August. When they won, they won by a lot and when they lost, they didn’t lose by much, which makes their record look a bit deceiving.
They tried to bring up their top pitching prospect Jonah Tong, but he would go 2-3 and have 7+ ERA.
Did Anything Go Right For This Team
They were still a good offensive team and scored a lot of runs, they were 10th most runs in the majors and hit the 5th most home runs. They were 8th in average with RISP.
Edwin Diaz had 28 saves and 1.63 ERA.
I feel that’s the extent I want to talk about “Good Things” happening to this team. They were the best team in the first 60 games and they were one of the worst. This could be a cautionary tale of how just putting a lot of money in order to build your contender doesn’t always get you there. Ask the Braves.
And even look at a team like the Dodgers they basically got every top pitcher available in the off-season and still only got the 3 seed and struggled with relief pitching.
Are They Going to Get Good Anytime Soon?
Pete Alonso is opting out of the second year of his contract which makes him a free agent. They still have a lot of good players coming back but will have a big hole to fill over at first.
But their biggest issues are from their pitching staff which will have to find a lot of improvements in the off-season. Frankie Montas is going to need Tommy John surgery and will miss all of 2026. Edwin Diaz can also opt out of his contract if he wants as well.
Francisco Lindor will be back along with Jeff McNeil so they should be solid up the middle. And they will be solid in the outfield with Nimmo , Soto and Taylor. This is going to be a revamped pitching staff and they hope they can build around their young prospect Tong.
They do have a top 10 farm system with a lot of them getting some taste of the big leagues. If they can sure up their pitching they will be the team to beat in the NL East next year.
Just one postseason award
Although his average wasn’t that great he did hit a lot of dingers so Juan Soto getting a silver slugger award isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
Hey Grok, in 100 words summarize the 2025 New York Mets. Please don't be racist.
The 2025 New York Mets season was a rollercoaster of unfulfilled expectations. Despite a hefty payroll and the additions of top free agents, the team struggled with offensive inconsistency and a bullpen that frequently faltered in high-leverage situations. While Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso delivered stellar individual performances, injuries to key starting pitchers throughout the summer derailed any sustained momentum. Manager Carlos Mendoza faced constant scrutiny as the Mets hovered around .500 for much of the season. Ultimately, a late-season surge proved too little, too late, as they finished just outside the Wild Card picture, leaving fans once again yearning for more.
David Stearns has already announced that Mendoza will be back next year, but you have to believe that if this team doesn’t at least win the division regardless of what happens in a playoff run, if they make it into the playoffs.
Did the Savannah Bananas Play at their Field?
They didn’t!
They did go to the cross-town rival to play but didn’t head over to Long Island. (Is that Long Island? I don’t know) And given the amount of money they were spending on the team the management could have used a few more dollars from the Bananas selling out Citi Field for a couple of games.
Is there a baseball movie featuring this team that has dumb baseball logic I need to vent about?
There isn’t, but the Mets do play a role in Rookie of the year which I will talk a lot more about when I write about the Cubs.
How Will Your Team Do Next Year?
They have the money to buy whatever they need to bolster their pitching and they will be able to make a move for a first baseman. If they can avoid the second half swoon they should be contending for the division. The NL East next year is going to be a lot like the NL Central this year. 3 teams making the playoffs. Record? 95-67 and winning the division.
Next on the Chopping Block
We are now into the playoffs so that means when teams get bounced from the playoffs we’ll have some profiles to write. Here’s my predictions for who will be bounced from the Wild Card Round and getting articles written about them in the near future.
Boston Red Sox: The Yankees are probably the hottest team coming into the playoffs and were knocking on the door of winning the division. The Red Sox have been playing good to get to this playoff spot but have some injuries catching up to them.
Detroit Tigers; The only team hotter than the Yankees are obviously the Guardians who just took 2 of 3 from the Tigers in the final week of the season.
Chicago Cubs; The Padres are also playing really good baseball but having to go to Chicago to play afternoon games could swing this in the Cubs favor. The Brewers play the winner of this series and honestly both of these teams match up well against the Brewers. But I’m a Brewers fan and I want the Cubs to be knocked out of the playoffs as soon as possible.
Cincinnati Reds: As much as I would like to see the Reds knock off the Dodgers, going out west and just squeaking into the playoffs doesn’t bode well for the Reds.