It All Comes Down To Game 162 For the New York Mets

Here we go again. It’s the last day of the baseball season, Game 162, and for the New York Mets, it feels like we’ve been strapped into this emotional rollercoaster before. Remember just over a year ago? The Mets, flying high, headed to Atlanta with a simple mission: win one game, and you’re in. We all know how that ended.

Fast forward to 2025, and it’s déjà vu all over again, but with a twist that only the baseball gods could cook up. After a gut-wrenching second-half slide that had fans reaching for the panic button (and maybe something stronger), it all comes down to this. One final game against the Marlins. A win, and a prayer.

“You feel good. Obviously, not ideal,” Manager Carlos Mendoza said, mastering the art of the understatement. “We put ourselves in this position, but you’re going into 162 with a chance to clinch a playoff spot.”

Win and Pray: The Mets’ Playoff Scenario

Let’s break down the nail-biting math. The Mets need two things to happen to punch their ticket to October: they absolutely must beat the Marlins, AND the Cincinnati Reds have to lose to the Brewers. Why the extra drama? Because the Reds, in a cruel twist of fate, own the tiebreaker. If both teams end with the same record, it’s Cincy dancing into the postseason, and the Mets are left wondering what could have been.

After a heroic performance from Clay Holmes, who delivered six shutout innings on Saturday, the Mets are still breathing. They’re alive. But they’re hooked up to life support, and the Reds have their finger hovering over the plug. “Wouldn’t have it any other way. This is exciting baseball,” Pete Alonso said. Spoken like a man who thrives on chaos. For the rest of us, it’s just pure, unadulterated anxiety.

Who Will Save the Mets’ Season?

With everything on the line, the Mets are turning to Sean Manaea to start the most important game of the year. Manaea’s season has been… well, let’s say it’s been a ride. After starting the year on the IL and battling through a loose body in his elbow, he’s posted a 5.80 ERA. Not exactly the numbers that scream “savior,” but in a do-or-die game, you throw stats out the window and hope for a little magic.

The good news? It’s “all hands on deck,” as Mendoza declared. Every arm in that bullpen, except for Holmes and the guy they’re apparently saving for the apocalypse, Nolan McLean, is ready to go. Expect a short leash and a revolving door of pitchers as the Mets throw everything they have at the wall to see what sticks.

So, here we are on the razor’s edge of glory and heartbreak. It’s the kind of day that makes you question your life choices, like why you chose to be a fan of this maddening, beautiful, infuriating team. But as Alonso said, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Grab your rally caps, say a prayer to your baseball deity of choice, and get ready. It all comes down to this.