The Mets have had quite the comeback season. Strangely, it wasn’t long ago when it was time to abandon ship. As a matter of fact, Jorge Lopez did just that in what was the baseball equivalent of walking the plank, only he burned the plank on the way out. But since that happened, the Mets went from weeping to singing along at a postgame concert performed by a backup middle-infielder (Jose Iglesias performed a song he wrote joined by his teammates on the field after beating the Astros).
New York has turned their season around
On June 12th, the Mets were 28-37 before the second game of their series with the Marlins. That’s when a plump, purple figure stepped out of the shadows and walked onto the field. In another grand birthday celebration, the Grimace made his way from McDonalds to the mound at Citi Field. This time however, he didn’t bring about an avalanche of purple milkshakes to be sold at participating McDonalds locations (yet). Instead, he threw out the first pitch.
The @Mets were 28-37 on June 12th.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 28, 2024
Then... Grimace. #LGM pic.twitter.com/Wm06tqNuJo
Since then, the Mets have won a lot more baseball games. They are now over .500 and are shaking up the Wild Card race, quickly turning from sellers to buyers in an attempt to blast their way into a deep postseason run. What does this mean for the Braves?
Can the Mets pass the Braves?
Currently, the Mets are four games behind the Braves in the NL East. But with the way they are playing, they just might catch the Braves. However, if they are going to catch them, the Mets will likely need to keep their torrid pace. The Mets are a hot team right now, but a win rate this high is almost impossible to sustain.
The Braves on the other hand, since losing the top spot in the East to the Phillies, have experienced quite the slide. But since the appearance of Snitbear in the Braves’ dugout, the Braves have rallied. While the Braves are far from a perfect team, if they can avoid any slumps the likes of which they just came out of, it will be hard for the Mets to pass them.
In any case, the way this battle concludes may come down to the trade deadline moves either team makes. But for right now, it is a race between the spell of the Grimace and Snitbear magic.
Are the Mets a threat to the Braves’ postseason ambitions?
As it stands today, the Braves are pretty safe. Currently, they have the upper hand as they hold the top Wild Card spot. The Mets are one of the many teams challenging for the other two wild card spots. The NL East could easily have three teams in the postseason.
If the Braves are going to be bumped from the postseason altogether, three other Wild Card contenders will need to pass them. The Braves’ chances of staying in the three team Wild Card bracket are almost assured, that is barring the chances of upsetting the Phillies or going on another prolonged slump. So far, there isn’t much to worry about until they enter the postseason.
Once in the postseason, the Mets may very well make a formidable competitor. Should they play in the postseason as half as good as they are now, they might just mash their way to a championship. But that is a conversation for another time. For now, let's see how long this Mets hot streak lasts.