While the sun is undergoing the New York Mets from 2025 and their historic collapse that prevents them from returning to October, we are again reminded of what this team does best. And it does not lead the platoon.
What do we mean by this? Historically, the Mets have thrive like the Underdog. The ‘hunted’ instead of the ‘hunter’.
An example: the first World Series championship of the club in 1969, lovingly called “The Miracle Mets”. In seasons where New York had legitimate ambitions and expectations, only one in the ultimate goal resulted in bringing home the trophy of the Commissioner. That came back in 1986.
In 1988, two years away from his second championship, the Mets of the Los Angeles Dodgers lost in a large upset in the NLCs of that year. In 1992 the Mets were notorious as the ‘worst team money could buy’, including the legendary deferred money deal from Bobby Bonilla.
Fast forward to 2006, and New York drove to 97 victories and an NL East title, only to lose from St. Louis Cardinals in a heartbreaking manner, also in the NLCs of that season. And we know what happened in 2007 and 2008.
What do all these examples have in common? Even as observed favorites, the Mets found ways to be short.
However, if the opposite is true and New York is not expected to play as a title candidate, it has a magical way to turn the switch. We mentioned 1969, but 1973 ‘Ya Gotta Believe’ Mets, led by Reliever Tug McGraw and a aging Willie Mays, let a wonderful World Series ran in a season that nobody saw coming.
In 2015, the same Underdog -story wore the mets to a pennant from the National League, before he lost the World Series of the season to the Kansas City Royals in five games.
But perhaps not a year Mets Magic will include more than 2024, when New York, among others, Grimace and Shortstop Jose Iglesias’ ‘Omg’ drove to a wildcard berth on the last day of the season, who drives his momentum completely to a sixth match of the NLCs, where they would meet their match in the Dodgers again.
All this means: the Mets Love is the underdog. In fact, they thrive historically. That is what made the collapse of 2025 so ‘known’: New York simply cannot handle the weight of expectations.
That will have to change in short order if the Mets want to realize their new identity as a multi -year contenders under owner Steve Cohen and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns.
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