Mets are meant to be underdogs, not front-runners

As the sun sets on the 2025 New York Mets and their historic collapse preventing them from a return to October, we're once again reminded of what this team does best. And it's not leading the pack. 

What do we mean by this? Historically, the Mets have thrived as the underdog. The 'hunted' rather than the 'hunter.' 

Case in point: The club's first World Series championship in 1969, affectionately dubbed "The Miracle Mets." In seasons where New York have had legitimate aspirations and expectations, only one resulted in the ultimate goal of bringing home the Commissioner's Trophy. That came all the way back in 1986.

In 1988, two years removed from its second championship, the Mets lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a major upset in that year's NLCS. In 1992, the Mets were infamously known as the 'worst team money can buy', which included the legendary deferred money deal of Bobby Bonilla. 

Fast forward to 2006, and New York cruised to 97 wins and an NL East title, only to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in heartbreaking fashion, also in that season's NLCS. And we know what happened in 2007 and 2008. 

What do all of these examples have in common? Even as perceived favorites, the Mets found ways to come up short. 

However, when the opposite is true and New York is not expected to play like a title contender, it has a magical way of flipping the switch. We mentioned 1969, but 1973's 'Ya Gotta Believe' Mets, led by reliever Tug McGraw and an aging Willie Mays, made a miraculous World Series run in a season no one saw coming. 

In 2015, that same underdog narrative carried the Mets to a National League pennant, before losing that season's World Series to the Kansas City Royals in five games. 

But perhaps no year encapsulates Mets magic more than 2024, when New York rode the likes of Grimace and shortstop Jose Iglesias' 'OMG' to a wild-card berth on the season's final day, riding its momentum all the way to a sixth game of the NLCS, where they'd meet their match in the Dodgers yet again. 

All of this is to say: The Mets love being the underdog. In fact, they thrive on it, historically speaking. That's what made 2025's collapse so 'familiar': New York simply can't handle the weight of expectations. 

That'll need to change in short order if the Mets want to live up to their new identity as perennial contenders under owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns.