Reese Kaplan -- No One Saw October Baseball As Game 1 Unfolded...

Like most Mets fans, I was awake and alert for the seemingly ineffectual effort against the Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach.  They had whiffed regularly in the first start, struggled to get hits in the second and now in the one to determine their postseason future it unfortunately looked like more of the same.  

There were a few middle innings where it appeared that the Braves’ starter was reverting to being a human being on the mound instead of someone on a non-stop path to Cooperstown, but by the late innings it was hard to be encouraged. 

Now bear in mind that living in Malaysia meant I started watching the game live at 1:30 AM and it was well after 3:00 when I decided game one was a lost cause.  Imagine my surprise, therefore, to wake up to see the box score of the Mets behind in the second game which was still in progress.  I made a soft curse about not facing challenges and collapsing when winning was needed most.

I am not sure even why I turned to look at the Game One box score, except to see if the Mets had actually gotten more than 4-5 hits for the effort.  I was up at 5:40 AM and assumed it was my non-eyeglass-wearing pupils playing tricks on me when I saw the 8-7 score. 

Now when I first glanced I thought, “Wow, the Mets did make a game of it before choking.”  I was not prepared to read that it was the Mets who got the bit W and the Braves who lost on their home field.

Of course, I then went back and watched numerous times and from various announcers perspectives what exactly happened in the 8th and 9th innings to lead the Mets to an improbable and unexpected win after looking so completely listless. 

While Tylor Megill didn’t put together an All Star level start, he was not bad and you’d think leaving with a game ERA under 4.50 would at least qualify as competitive.  

After the confusion was gone and the joy of victory in my head and heart, I got to thinking about what the Mets needed to do to call 2024 a good season. 

Given where they were in April and May, the fact they were even mathematically capable of sneaking into the postseason was shocking in and of itself.  Had they not made it, then all of the league best record since May 31st and the contributions from various players all around the roster would have gone for naught.  

Granted, when a season begins the most rose-colored glass wearing fans feel that anything is indeed possible, including a World Series victory.  Coming off a horrific 2023 season and off to a poor start for rookie manager Carlos Mendoza and well regarded POBO David Stearns it was an unpleasant surprise but to everyone’s unforeseen expectations, they took corrective actions and now were actually heading to Milwaukee to face the Brewers in the wild card round of the National League Playoffs.

So the question that popped into my head was what would qualify 2024 as a good season?  Making it to October baseball may indeed be the single achievement that justifies many roster changes, injuries, slumps and an inexperienced management team in Queens. 

In fact, I would go as far to say that since the clinching was not fully guaranteed nor expected, that step is the one which alone qualifies this club’s season as a good one.  They finished the 2024 regular season with a record of 89-73, a .549 winning percentage. 

In 2023 they had a Cooperstown bound manager lead them to a record of just 75-87, a .463 winning percentage and 29 games out of first place.  Considering this time around they were just 6 games from the top, that’s an amazing improvement

Obviously all Mets fans would like to see the club transition to the Divisional round of the playoffs and then even the National League Championship on the way to a World Series.  Hats off to them if they can do that, but with the inconsistent hitting and bullpen work it’s going to be a mighty tough road ahead. 

Sure, everyone would be disappointed to see them finish before the very end, but in no way would that circumstance tarnish what they have already done.  

That being said, I guess I’m due for a 5:00 AM awakening to be caffeinated before the game in Milwaukee begins.