The New York Mets were left scratching their heads after missing the playoffs this season despite sporting the MLB’s top record (45-24) on June 12. New York went 38-55 from that point forward to finish 83-79, one game behind the Cincinnati Reds for the National League’s final wild card spot.
Despite the brutal second-half swoon, it doesn’t appear as if team members are angry at each other over how things finished, per one unnamed Mets player to Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic.
“There’s no ill will, animosity or finger-pointing,” the player said. “Everyone is committed to the same goal.”
The Mets still had a chance to make the playoffs on the season’s final day with a win over the Miami Marlins and a Cincinnati loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds lost 4-2, but the Mets fell 4-0 to the Marlins.
Ultimately, the Mets were left with far more questions than answers after a puzzling season. New York had great hope after a magical 2024 season that ended with the team taking the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers to six games in the National League Championship Series.
The Mets then added superstar Juan Soto on a 15-year, $765 million deal this offseason, and it was conceivable that New York could finally win the team’s first World Series since 1986.
However, this team lacked the magic from last year, when the Mets benefited from the magic of Grimace and “OMG” and overcame a brutal two-month start (24-35) to make the playoffs on the season’s final day.
“There was magic last year; you walked in the building on a day like today and you were expecting to win the game,” a Mets player told The Athletic on Sunday. “This year? I don’t know.”
The talent was clearly there this year, especially with Soto aboard and first baseman Pete Alonso enjoying a resurgent season (38 home runs, 126 RBI). The pitching staff showed great promise in the first half, but injuries and struggles in the second half doomed the team on the mound down the stretch.
“We were a better team, talent-wise, this year than we were last year,” a veteran Mets player told The Athletic. “Everyone will always compare this year versus last year. On paper, we are a much better team this year than we were last year, and I don’t think it’s necessarily close. It just didn’t work.”
Now the Mets go into this offseason with more questions than answers after a rough year. Chief among them is the status of Alonso, who told reporters that he will decline his 2026 player option and elect for free agency.
The Mets also have other potential key free agents, including closer Edwin DÃaz.
The Mets’ offseason has now begun. First pitch in 2026 is scheduled for March 26 at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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