BRONX, NY – Before the 2026 baseball season began, various gambling outlets had the New York Mets’ season over/under win total in the low 90s. That has to be the most overestimated number to come out of Flushing since Paul Simon promised us “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and delivered a measly 5. Pfft! At this point I suppose we should be used to this organization sh!tting the bed. If you look at it objectively, even the Mets’ two World Series wins were major miracles. Hell the 1969 team was nicknamed The Miracle Mets and the 1986 Series win was even more miraculous. This franchise has done so many moronic things over the years, it’s amazin’ they ever won anything. Let’s look at some of the many lowlights.
Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi. December 10, 1971 the Mets traded Nolan Ryan (and three other players!) to the California Angels for Jim Fregosi. How did that one work out for them?
The Midnight Massacre. June 1977, one of the worst baseball executives in the history of the game, M. Donald Grant, trades the guy they call “The Franchise” to the Cincinnati Reds for Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Doug Flynn, and Dan Norman. And, once again, they were on the VERY wrong end of a four-for-one swap. To this day, Tom Seaver not playing his entire career as a Met haunts that team’s fanbase. Unforgivable.
But let’s not get stuck in the past, as we have plenty of recent history to look at, like this year, for instance.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, MVP? Who could have predicted, way back in the summer of 2021, that the Mets dealing a 19-year-old to the Cubs for shortstop Javy Baez and pitcher Trevor Williams would work out so well… for the Cubs? If you’re a Mets fan, you just kinda know. Baez was a disaster. Williams was a complete non-factor. Meanwhile, let’s check in on what that Pete Crow-Armstrong kid is up to in the Windy City. Hmm. Apparently he’s having a pretty good year. He’s hitting .282 with 38 home runs, 91 rbi, 32 stolen bases, leading the league in runs scored and playing lights-out defense in center field. Not bad. But the Mets don’t need anything like that. Nah. You know who else they didn’t need?
Pete Alonso. You know how many games Pete Alonso has played in this year? 138. You know how many his replacement at first base for the Mets, Jorge Polanco, has played? 37. Pete’s got 32 dingers, 91 rbi, and is hitting .268. Polanco has 2 home runs, 6 rbi, and is hitting .148. Though nowhere near as bad as trading Tom Seaver, letting your all-time home run leader, and huge fan favorite, walk away was also quite stupid. I’m gonna echo what many others here have said, baseball games are not won with analytics.
So the Mets will most likely finish this season in dead last in the NL East. As for next year and beyond, it’s anybody’s guess. At least they’re not the Jets… I suppose.
