Saturday, the New York Mets clinched the first wild card spot and punched a ticket to the postseason for the second year in a row. As the team celebrated on the field knowing they would live to play another day, I myself (a lifelong Met fan) felt an overwhelming sense of pride for the team. Of course, like any other Met fan, I am also overwhelmingly sick to my stomach for the impending one game playoff. However, when the events of this year are taken into consideration, it’s hard not to admire the season this team salvaged against every odd.
The year started with an incredible optimism. The Mets had gotten better in the offseason and were poised to take back the National League crown as they had the year before, only this year many predicted they could do just that. Yet those high hopes quickly faded as injuries plagued the entire team. Of the nine position players who started on Opening Day for New York, seven have spent at least fifteen days on the disabled list this year, or in Michael Conforto’s case, extended time in the minor leagues. Not to mention the fact that the crowned jewel of the team that helped lead the Mets to the Fall Classic for the first time in fifteen years, the starting rotation lost all stars Matt Harvey and Jacob DeGrom as well as promising young stars Steven Matz and Zach Wheeler.
Despite being just three games above .500 in late July with injuries to so many productive players, the Mets and the organization refused to give up. Sandy Alderson signed Jose Reyes who provided a much needed fire on and off the field, and traded for Jay Bruce who has heated up at seemingly the perfect time. However, the success lies most of all in the players who stayed consistent in an up and down year. Players like Noah Syndergaard who brilliantly avoided a sophomore slump with a 2.60 ERA ranking among some of the best in the National League. Or perhaps sluggers Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes who each smacked 30 home runs to help break a franchise record for home runs in a season. Or young guns Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, who stepped up and combined for nine wins and ERA’s under 2.70 down the stretch. And who could forget the ageless wonder Bartolo Colon, who not only won 15 games with an ERA under 3.50 at the ripe age of 43, but also hit his first career home run and drew his first career walk.
The biggest takeaway from this Mets season, is that when all hope seemed lost at various points throughout the season, the team, organization, and fans never gave up. Not when David Wright and Matt Harvey underwent season ending surgery, and not when the team was two games below .500 and 5.5 games out of the wild card in late August. The Mets could have packed it in, said “It’s not our year, let’s come back stronger next year.” But they didn’t. Instead they went on a charge down the stretch, with every single player contributing and bringing the team to the postseason. It may not be the improbable run to the World Series that Met fans experienced last year, but just getting to the postseason seemed impossible at times this year. The fact that the Mets managed to salvage a playoff season with injuries to almost everyone at some point in the year, makes this run special in its own way. Not to mention it speaks volumes to the talent, drive and passion of every single Mets player who never gave up and pushed through every obstacle throughout the season to get back to the Promised Land. I expect nothing less from these players when they battle for the wild card on Wednesday, but win or lose, this season was an amazing accomplishment for the Mets, and a hell of a ride for their fans.
