This season has been all for the New Yorkers! The New York Yankees are doing fantastic in their division, and so are the New York Mets. What’s surprising is that both teams didn’t start on the right foot in the game but now are a force to be reckoned with. But mostly Mets in the first half of the season were struggling, grappling with sloppy losses each time. At one point, they were 0-7. So, it didn’t take much of the crowd to write them off—but look at them now!

The Mets are in the sixth position in the leaderboard and are fighting tooth and nail for a wildcard spot. It’s like playoffs have arrived way too early this time! Their resilience is remarkable, the team spirit inexhaustible, and the bonding and vibes of players unmatched. These are things that are propelling the team forward. We saw the resilience tested on Saturday yet again when their key player was done for the season!

Mets resilience tested with another injury, but they won’t stop

The New York Mets did have a tough time in the first half, and there was a time when their ballpark was empty. But they didn’t give up and, with resilience, worked towards the goal, and how wonderfully they have made it up. But their resilience was tested again when their Jeff McNeil suffered a wrist fracture. The injury was bad, and he was done for the season. At this time, any team would be broken and in a scurry of ‘what next’ but not the Mets. As Buck Showalter often said, the season doesn’t stop for you to solve your problems.

Manager Carlos Mendoza was clear—every team faces problems with injuries, and hence, when one is down, another has to step up. And so, Jose Iglesias did just that. He joined forces with Francisco Lindor to execute double plays that were nothing short of spectacular. Moreover, their defense was rock-solid behind Jose Quintana, and the fielding was top-notch.

So an entire team effort set the stage for the New York Mets to break through with four runs in the sixth inning, leading to a 4-0 victory against the Cincinnati Reds. With this win, they are on their nine-game winning streak—the first since 2018 and only the third time in the franchise’s history. The previous two times were their first playoff run in 1969. 

And now their gap for making it into the playoffs is closer than ever. And a sense of excitement seems to surround them as to what if they do not just make it to the playoffs but win the championship!

Mets in a tight NL wild-card race

The New York Mets have made a remarkable turnaround from the tough start. From a 9-19 record in May, they have made it to 51-31 since June 1. The Mets are now sitting second in the NL East, trailing Philadelphia by seven games, and are one game ahead of Atlanta for the final NL Wild Card spot. Plus, they have to be careful because they are just one-half game behind the Diamondbacks for the second wild card. 

Phil Maton, who has plenty of playoff experience, mentioned how every game is crucial for the team. “I hate to be scoreboard watching this early in the month, but every game is going to kind of matter down the stretch,” said Phil Maton. And it truly does, given no one wants to miss a spot just by a short mile.

Francisco Lindor agrees, saying, “We are in that position where every day, every game, every inning matters, and that is playoff baseball.” And by the looks of their stats, they look strong. They rank in the top six for hard-hit rate (40.9%) and barrel rate (9.0%), and are eighth in slugging percentage (.420) and isolated power (.171). Moreover, FanGraphs gives the Mets a 60% chance to make it to the playoffs. But it’s crucial to remember that they are in a tight spot and every game counts. As Maton notes, “It is not the absolute do or die every night, but it is getting pretty close.”

With the amount of growth the team has shown over this season, do you think they can keep up the momentum? Let us know in the comments if you think they can handle Atlanta and the Diamondbacks and make the cut.