The Mets fought against all odds to make it to the 2024 MLB Postseason after a whirlwind campaign. It not only marked a bounceback after an unsuccessful 2023 but also saw several breakout campaigns, including ones for Mark Vientos and David Peterson, among others. Here’s a loo
The Good
The Mets were 24-34 on June 1, 2024. New York (NL) finished 89-73 — 65-39 from June 1 onward — and the Mets clinched a spot in the playoffs on the final day plus one thanks to heroics from Francisco Lindor.
Lindor was the lifeblood of the team, as he hit .273/.344/.500 with 29 stolen bases, 33 home runs, and 73 extra-base hits in arguably his best MLB season. He led a dynamic offense that saw another 30+ home run season from Pete Alonso and 23 home runs from Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo came one home run shy of tying his career high.
Another name who played a key role was Mark Vientos. Vientos showcased good bat speed with the Mets in 2023 but often was in-between timing and didn’t get a long look at the MLB level. He did in 2024, as he batted .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs and passed Brett Baty on the depth chart at third base. Vientos’ presence gave the Mets and their big bats much-needed protection.
Pitching-wise, the Mets received big dividends from unlikely sources. Reliever Reed Garrett perfected a splitter to become a key arm out of the bullpen. Garrett struck out 83 over 57.1 IP and notched four saves. And in the rotation, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea both made adjustments.
For Severino, it was the sinker. We noted when the Mets signed Severino that he used it more over September 2023. It made sense, as Severino lost carry on his fastball. By leveraging it more — he threw it almost 25% of the time in 2024, compared to 2.8% in 2023 — Severino had a weapon to not only pound the zone with efficiency but also give hitters different looks.
He posted a 3.91 ERA and led the Mets in innings pitched (182).
Manaea, meanwhile, adjusted his delivery to add more crossfire action, making it difficult for hitters to pick up the release point. Manaea struck out a team-high 184 this season and the work will likely pay off this winter. Both Manaea and Severino were free-agent adds this past winter.
Also, it’s hard to ignore the impact Jose Iglesias had. Aside from the “OMG” craze and infectious attitude, Iglesias gave the Mets needed stability at second base defensively and good contact skills. His ability to stay back on balls and make contact helped Iglesias bat .337 (91 H over 85 G) in a platoon role.
The Bad
While some of the Mets’ pickups this winter were smashing successes, others were not.
Left-handed reliever Jake Diekman has never possessed good control but rather a great ability to blow hitters with a mid-90s fastball from a flat approach angle and grind hitters with his slider. Diekman walked 24 over 32 frames this season and yielded seven home runs before the Mets cut him. His fastball velocity, on average, was down 0.8 MPH compared to 2023.
Adrian Houser came to the Mets along with Tyrone Taylor in December, an interesting addition. Houser was an innings-eater with Milwaukee and regularly jammed hitters with his sinker, as we noted at the time. Unfortunately for Houser, his secondary stuff wasn’t as sharp, particularly his slider. He gave up just as many home runs (3) off the slider compared to 2023 (4) even though he threw it over 100 times fewer. Like Diekman, Houser was DFA’d midseason.
Then, there were the injuries. Kodai Senga made just one start after a myriad of injuries, while rookie Christian Scott (4.56 ERA, 39 K over 47.1 IP) made just nine starts and will miss all of 2025 thanks to Tommy John surgery. Jeff McNeil, thanks to a wrist injury, is unavailable for the playoffs.
What to Expect from the Mets in October
The Mets have a lot of questions to answer this winter. Will New York court Corbin Burnes and Juan Soto? Will the Mets bring back Sean Manaea? And, will Pete Alonso play for a different organization for the first time in his pro career?
There are a lot of unknowns for the Mets after their season ends. But, one thing New York proved this season is that the Mets can handle adversity. New York fought back from a major deficit in the summer to make it in, then won Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Round after a double-header the day prior.
If one thing can be expected from the Mets, it’s that this team fights.