New York Mets
2024 record: 89-73
Third place NL East
Team ERA: 3.96 (15th in MLB)
Team OPS: .734 (9th in MLB)
What Went Right
For a while it felt like nothing could or would go right for this Mets team. They sat at 24-34 on June 1st – the third worst record in the National League – after a nightmarish May that included a heap of blown saves, dramatic losses, and one viral temper tantrum.
Then, everything changed in June when a certain purple, McDonalds mascot with cosmic powers graced the Mets with a divine presence that turned their season around.
More so, manager Carlos Mendoza shifted around his lineup in mid-May to put Francisco Lindor at lead-off and make Mark Vientos the everyday third baseman. Those two changes made this one of the most potent lineups in baseball.
Lindor washed away a .195/.268/.362 slash line through May 18th – the day he was made the lead-off hitter – to finish the season with 33 home runs, 29 stolen bases, 107 runs scored, 91 RBI, and an .844 OPS across 152 games. He would’ve had his second straight 30-30 season if not for a late season back injury. Also, his 137 wRC+ was the highest mark of his entire career. Which is funny, because I always heard his best seasons happened in Cleveland.
Then, there’s Vientos. He was arguably the best offensive third baseman in the National League after being promoted. His .837 OPS was best of all NL third baseman with at least 300 plate appearances and he added 27 homers over 111 games to boot. The good times kept rolling for him in the playoffs with five more homers and 14 RBI. Looking back, he became the lynchpin for the Mets’ magical run.
Otherwise, the rest of the offense was middling besides the age-less José Iglesias. Similarly to Vientos, Iglesias took over as a regular in early June and never stopped hitting. His .337 batting average was the highest in baseball for any player with at least 250 PA and his .830 OPS set a new career-high sans 2020. Also, he released the hit single “OMG” that became a rallying cry for the Mets’ clubhouse and featured Pitbull on a remix in October. Special would be an understatement for his season.
On the pitching side, Sean Manaea turned in by far the best season of his career and grew into the ace of this Mets staff. He logged a career-high 181 2/3 and crossed the 200 inning plateau if you included his postseason work. With that, he completed six innings in 13 of his last 17 starts and likely put himself in position for a nice pay day this…