723 Days Later: The Mets Control Their Playoff Hopes Right Back in Atlanta

October 2nd 2022, 723 days ago, The Mets finished off the final game of their division deciding battle with the rival Braves losing 5-3 being swept with all 3 of their aces on the mound. The Mets finished 2nd in the NL East despite 101 wins, and lost at home in the wildcard series to the San Diego Padres. 2 years later, here we are again, right back where it all fell apart in 2022. The Mets go into Atlanta 2 games ahead in the wildcard standings, with an opportunity to clinch their spot in October. A sweep by Atlanta however, would effectively end the Mets season. It’s certainly odd to feel that a rotation headlined by Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson feels more formidable than one that had been headlined by Max Scherzer, Jacob DeGrom, and Chris Bassitt, but that’s a testament to just how incredible these guys have been in the closing months of this season. Back in 2022 there was a lingering feeling of dread, Scherzer had been dealing with injuries and even told Ken Rosenthal that he’d wished the season was over so he could focus on recovering. Chris Bassitt had been an innings eater all year, but needing him to step up and dominate with the season on the line was certainly no given (as we came to find out). And Jacob deGrom was shrouded in free agency rumors and questions as to just how many starts he had left in a Mets uniform. The Braves had managed to climb back 10 games in the standings, mostly due to phenomenal play down the stretch and some key injuries for the Mets. This was written by the Media as a massive collapse on the part of the Mets, and the narrative was set. The Mets didn’t hear the end of it the entire postseason or offseason. What some of you may have missed is the Braves were 10 games ahead of the Mets earlier this season and have allowed the Mets to climb all the way back, the media has said very little about it.

The narrative from Braves fans, and many in the media, is that the Mets and effectively the Braves are only in this position due to the countless injuries Atlanta has faced this season. There is a part of this that is undeniably true, Atlanta lost their ace Spencer Strider for the entire season, the reigning MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. for the entire season, and dealt with a handful of other injuries all season long. I do however feel that this is not giving credit to the Mets for all that they’ve accomplished this year, and ignores the amount of players on Atlanta who have regressed this season. Matt Olson has played the entire season and seen his OPS drop from .993 in 2023 to .795 in 2024. Austin Riley was having his weakest season since the shortened 2020 season before he got injured after being named the best 3rd baseman in baseball by many. Michael Harris finds himself having his weakest season of his major league career thus far. Orlando Arcia and Jarred Kelenic are both just bad in spite of everything Braves fans had to say about those 2 to Mets fans. The Braves have been carried by Chris Sale, the soon to be NL Cy Young winner that they practically got for free, and domestic abuser and terrible human being Marcell Ozuna.

It’s also untrue and unfair to argue that the Mets have not faced any setbacks in the 2024 season. Their ace Kodai Senga has been hurt the entire season and came back for one brilliant outing just to get hurt again. The rotation had no “ace” going into the season and got carried by Luis Severino, who a year earlier had called himself the worst pitcher in baseball, David Peterson who for many Mets fans was an afterthought that had never reached his potential, and Sean Manaea who has just been absolutely brilliant having the finest year of his career. Their MVP (and still in my eyes the NL MVP frontrunner up until his injury) got hurt right in the middle of their biggest stretch of the season and they responded by going 6-1 at home to the Nats and division leading Phillies. Jeff McNeil struggled the entire first half and came back post ASG to be their best hitter only for him to face a season ending injury. The 2024 Mets have been defined by players stepping up and taking on the weight of winning by providing either more than any could have expected, or having brilliant stretches to help keep the team afloat. Jose Iglesias, Mark Vientos, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Luis Severino, Tyrone Taylor, Jesse Winker, Luis Torrens, the list goes on. The Mets went from a team that seemed full of excuses when things fell apart in 2022, and throughout all of 2023, to a team that has taken each game one at a time and is driven by a “next man up” mentality. Nobody feels bad for you when you get knocked down, and The Mets have gotten back up and thrown their best punch.

With Francisco Lindor still sidelined and no clear return in sight, it will take a continued collective effort for the Mets to conquer the Braves. Can Luis Severino and Sean Manaea remain brilliant surprises playing like true aces? Can David Peterson bounce back from 2 ugly games in his last 3 starts? Can Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo continue to step up now that they’ve shown they still have the ability to lead when this team needed someone to shine in Lindor’s absence? Will Vientos, Alvarez, and Acuna shine not just in the big moments at home, but in defining series on the road? Carlos Mendoza has managed some brilliant games recently, and he too is going to need to be on top of his game coming into this Braves series.

I had the privilege of being at both Thursday and Sunday Night’s games at Citi Field, this team and its fanbase deserve and crave postseason baseball. I haven’t seen or felt an environment like this surrounding the Mets since their run back in 2019. There’s something special happening in Queens, you can feet it. But as it always seems to, it will all be decided in Atlanta. It’s the series we all knew it would come down to, it’s time to make a statement.