UPDATE: The New York Mets’ playoff hopes take a hit as they fall into a tie for the wild card with the Cincinnati Reds after a shocking 3-2 loss to the last-place Washington Nationals at Citi Field on Sunday.
This defeat marks a dramatic shift for a team that dominated for nearly six months, now plunging them into a precarious position with only a week left in the regular season. The Mets, who have lost 11 of their last 15 games, now share an 80-76 record with the Reds, but Cincinnati holds the tiebreaker.
Why this matters: With only six games remaining in the season, every match counts. The Mets are now faced with the grim reality that they must win to secure a postseason berth, a far cry from their 45-24 start that had them leading the majors.
After the Mets’ loss, the Reds edged the Chicago Cubs 1-0, solidifying their position in the playoff race. The Mets now head into a critical road trip against the Cubs and the Miami Marlins, starting Tuesday.
“We just gotta win,” Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said. “It’s simple. Winning solves everything at this point. We just gotta do it.”
This weekend’s setback was highlighted by two spectacular catches from Nationals center fielder Jacob Young that left the Mets reeling. Young’s defensive prowess was pivotal, particularly in robbing Francisco Alvarez of a potential game-tying home run in the ninth inning.
Looking back, the Mets appeared poised to dominate after an impressive start to the season, but their performance has drastically declined since mid-June, posting a 35-52 record in the subsequent months. This is a stark contrast to their playoff-bound journey last year, making the current situation even more painful for fans and players alike.
As the Mets prepare for their final two series, the urgency intensifies. They are now just 50.1% likely to reach the postseason, a significant drop from the 96.2% chance they held on June 12, according to FanGraphs.
Next steps: The Mets must confront their pressing issues on the field. They must avoid mistakes that have plagued them, such as costly errors and missed opportunities, as Brandon Nimmo candidly noted, “I can’t put my finger quite on it other than we just haven’t been able to put it together as a team for an extended period of time.”
With the Reds also facing tough competition from the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are just one game behind, the stakes are higher than ever. The Mets need to transform their fortunes quickly to keep their postseason dreams alive.
As they head into their crucial matches, fans and analysts alike are left wondering: can the Mets turn their season around in the final stretch? The urgency is palpable, and every moment counts.