There was a time when it would have been nice for the Mets to make the playoffs. In the desperation of a May 9-19, the Wilpon mantra of playing important games in September just sounded good.
But at some point, you stop living the season you imagined and start worrying about the one that’s actually happening. And this season, the Mets’ motto changed from “It would be great to make the playoffs” to “It would be terrible to miss them.”
Because they played much better over a longer period of time and thus made it clear what was possible.
Because the Braves’ roster was getting smaller and smaller and one important player after another was out for longer periods of time.
The Mets will have to change a large part of their rotation again during the upcoming offseason and who knows if they will do as well as Sean Manaea and Luis Severino?
Because no team in the major leagues is playing a season that would make the Mets feel like it would be outrageous to win a round or two or …
But that could only happen if they get in.
“If we stand there now and don’t make the playoffs, it’s definitely disappointing because we’re so close to the finish line,” said Brandon Nimmo.
Again, though, there’s that fine line – between knocking and actually getting in. And a 9-5 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday night, bookended by another poor start from Jose Quintana and a series of defensive errors in the ninth inning that recalled their bumbling forebears in 1962, was disheartening for the Mets. Those bookends of incompetence minimized a four-run eighth-inning surge that culminated in a three-run home run by J.D. Martinez that briefly cheered the 34,225 fans at Citi Field and raised hopes of a stirring comeback from a 7-1 deficit.
Instead, it was another lost day on the schedule – the Mets have now played 36 games – and another lost game on the standings.
Carlos Mendoza stressed that he had not looked at the large scoreboard in front of him, which told him during the course of the evening that the Braves would beat the Phillies, which meant that the Mets were now only 2 ¹/₂ games away from the last NL wild card.
He also said there are no plans to take Quintana out of the rotation, even though the Mets lost all four of his starts in August. The veteran left-hander is 0-3 and has an ERA of 8.27 after allowing seven runs in five innings.
Quintana stressed after his 25th start in 2024 that he feels strong at age 35 and with only 13 starts last year. He talked about how this is the ideal moment to rediscover his skills and help down the stretch. And really, there isn’t much room. Christian Scott is far from returning. Tylor Megill was mediocre at Triple-A. The Mets simply consider Jose Butto too valuable in the bullpen.
The Mets must hope that the super-professional Quintana still has some left. Time is so tight now that a non-functioning player in the rotation is much more problematic than it was in April, May or June. And again: A Mets season in which success was an advantage has turned into a season in which reaching the playoffs is a must.
Baltimore is feeling it, too. The Orioles had missed the playoffs for six straight seasons, which included one of the most obvious losing streaks in MLB history, before winning 101 games last season – their most since 1979 – and the AL East. So this year the Orioles had expectations, and that has made their journey more difficult. And Baltimore has had to find its way while losing three starters – Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells – to elbow surgery and placing Zach Eflin, who was 4-0 in four starts since being acquired from Tampa Bay, on the IL.
The Mets, despite their increasing playoff chances, were not as aggressive in signing someone as accomplished as Eflin at the trade deadline. They did add players, but their big-picture priorities were still not trading talent that would hurt a trade. That was a philosophy developed when making the playoffs was still a nice concept.
But as Nimmo noted, “We have a great opportunity now.”
And playing important games in September is no longer enough.
