From LOL to OMG: Why the Mets’ incredible run is the start of something even bigger
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
A few years from now, when the New York Mets have become the powerhouse they’re bound to be, they will look back on the 2024 season as where it all started. Something special happened in Queens this year. And the fact that it ended in disappointing fashion, with the Los Angeles Dodgers dispatching them from the National League Championship Series on Sunday night with a 10-5 victory in Game 6, in no way lessens what the Mets achieved.
As much as this year was outwardly about Grimace and OMG and a lucky pumpkin, more important were the dramatic, substantive changes arriving in an organization that for far too long had operated less like a leviathan and more like a mid-market team cosplaying as a big-market spender. The internal transformation, delivered by owner Steve Cohen hiring David Stearns as president of baseball operations and Carlos Mendoza as manager, brought to the organization a pair of leaders who immediately flipped a culture long known for its brokenness. Nothing in baseball fosters success like the marriage of money and stability — a Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series matchup suggests as much — and after decades of unserious ownership and early-tenure stumbles by Cohen, the Mets were positioned to assert themselves overnight.
That all of it came to fruition this postseason, against the backdrop of the Mets carrying themselves as the ultimate meme team, provided for a delightful contrast. As the organization began to grow up, it experienced on the field and in the clubhouse a simultaneous glow-up.
“The culture that we live in and that we’re building,” infielder Jose Iglesias said, “is going the right way.”
To a fan base that fell in love with these Mets after their 0-5 and 24-35 starts gave way to comeback after dramatic comeback, this season will be remembered less for its disappointments than the joy it provided. Grimace, the McDonald’s character whose first pitch before a June game at Citi Field coincided with an early run of success, was the mascot. Iglesias’ song, “OMG,” was the soundtrack. Outfielder Harrison Bader‘s clothing was the aesthetic. First baseman Pete Alonso’s pumpkin was the amulet. Outfielder Jesse Winker’s celebrations were the personification of Mets fans’ long-concealed id, a desire to be exuberant and outlandish that was eternally curbed by the feeling that it would be repaid with something bad.
“This is the craziest team I’ve been on. We laugh about it,” Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez said. “We just never know what’s going to happen. Iggy might come in with some new song, and Bader’s coming in with some new outfit, and Pete’s saying some crazy things. It’s just fun.”
To see Citi Field turn into the biggest singalong in New York every time shortstop Francisco Lindor came to bat — the fans belting his walkup song, “My Girl,” and finishing the warbling even when the music went silent — brought a different dimension to the stadium than in recent years. At the same time, to attribute the Mets’ success to vibes rather than the construction of a team of solid baseball players does a disservice to the work of Stearns in talent acquisition and Mendoza in extracting the best versions of his players.
Lindor, who called the late-May players-only meeting that catalyzed the Mets far more than the purple creature or pop song, reinforced his Hall of Fame bona fides and will finish second in the NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani. From the day of the meeting on, the Mets were the best team in baseball, going 67-40. And over that four-month juncture, Lindor logged the most wins above replacement in the NL, even more than Ohtani, who hit 40 home runs and stole 46 bases in that time.
After the final scheduled day of the regular season, the Mets seemed to only get more clutch. Lindor’s home run in the Mets’ 161st game, part of a doubleheader moved to the Monday after the originally scheduled finale, clinched New York’s spot in the postseason. In the wild-card round, Alonso delivered a seismic, go-ahead, ninth-inning home run to oust the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. The enchantment continued in the division series, as Lindor’s grand slam propelled them past the rival Philadelphia Phillies and allowed New York for the first time to celebrate a playoff clinch at Citi Field.
Then they ran into the team they ultimately would like to be. The Dodgers — who won 98 games to the Mets’ 89 — spoiled the possibility of a Subway Series by feasting on a bullpen that tired and faltered throughout the series. Over 32 innings, Mets relievers allowed 57 baserunners and 24 earned runs. That Mendoza extracted as much out of them as he did leading up to the NLCS demonstrated his deft touch extends beyond exemplary communication with players.
It’s not like the Mets will forever be stuck in bullpen purgatory, either. One of Stearns’ strengths in Milwaukee, where he shepherded a small-market team to five playoff appearances in six seasons, was building a lockdown bullpen. He’s primed to do the same with the Mets, particularly considering the financial leeway with which he’ll enter the winter looking to build around a talented core.
Lindor remains the linchpin. In addition, third baseman Mark Vientos emerged as a force this season, Brandon Nimmo is a stabilizer in the outfield and 22-year-old Francisco Alvarez remains the full-time solution at catcher. Kodai Senga should be healthy come Opening Day, Edwin Diaz fought through a midseason slump to reemerge as a closer capable of going multiple innings and David Peterson put up a 2.90 ERA over 131 innings. On top of that they can throw in a few more bats (Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte) and some powerful arms (Reed Garrett, Tylor Megill, Jose Butto).
The Mets have somewhere in the range of $190 million in salaries coming off the books this winter, including some difficult decisions to make: Alonso, one of the franchise’s most popular players, enters free agency after a postseason with four home runs and a .999 OPS. Potentially gone as well are Iglesias, Martinez, Winker and Bader, who all contributed on the field and in the shift in clubhouse culture, and left-hander Sean Manaea, who can opt out of the deal he signed in January.
Without any of those players their payroll currently clocks in around $160 million, and for a roster that needs augmentation more than reimagination.
It’s a great place to start. Especially for Stearns, perhaps the best in the business at finding value around the edges to complement a team of stars. But the assumption is also that a team that for three consecutive years has run out a payroll in the $300 million-plus range will remain among the game’s highest-spending teams.
Which is fitting timing this winter. Because rarely does a player of Juan Soto’s caliber and age reach free agency. The Yankees right fielder will spend his 26th birthday playing in Game 1 of the World Series, and after a champion is crowned, the free agent sweepstakes for his services will begin. As much as the Yankees are favored to re-sign him on a deal of more than $500 million, especially after the run to their first World Series since 2009, Cohen and Stearns understand the rarity of high-floor, high-ceiling position players like Soto and how few will reach free agency over the coming offseasons.
In the winter of 2025, it’s Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker. The season after is relatively barren. Come the 2027 offseason, catchers Adley Rutschman and William Contreras headline the class. This might be the Mets’ best opportunity to land a true franchise superstar without having to deplete its farm system.
If Soto is the Mets’ top priority, rebuilding their rotation isn’t far behind. Manaea, right-hander Luis Severino and left-hander Jose Quintana, who combined to throw more than 37% of New York’s innings this season, all are expected to be free agents. Right-hander Corbin Burnes, whom Stearns selected in the fourth round of his first draft overseeing Milwaukee, is a free agent. So are left-handers Blake Snell and Max Fried. Although Cohen has shown a proclivity for handing out excessive money to starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer — both later traded — he doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of opportunity there, either, with future AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (after 2026), Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (2025), right-hander Zac Gallen (2025), lefty Garrett Crochet (2026) and righty Logan Gilbert (2027) the best options after this winter.
Maybe they get Soto, and if they don’t, maybe they build their winter around Alonso, or perhaps Cohen shrugs and signs both and adds an ace on top of it. His willingness and capacity to dive headlong into free agency has made him a beloved owner less than five years into his tenure, a rarity around the game. Cohen is far more than money, though. He recognizes the power of a good management team, of moves on the margins, of investing in things beyond major league payroll. Teams are not built on superstars alone. They are the product of talent, work and especially — unquantifiably, but without a doubt — a kind of single-mindedness the Mets stumbled upon during their season.
“The guys are understanding the importance of competing — competing every pitch,” Iglesias said. “We just give everything we got, every pitch, every bat. And then usually the god of baseball — he helps you when you go with the right energy and the right attitude.”
From LOL to OMG, the Mets today strut about with a different mindset. Gone is the wobbliness of past seasons, replaced by the actualization of this year and these playoffs. No longer are the Mets a team constantly cycling through general managers and managers. They are here. And even if 2025 cannot match the miracle that was 2024, what happened this October has readied New York to take the next step.
Now comes the imperative part. Doing it again is tricky, and doing it again after that will reinforce that the Mets aren’t taking anything for granted. They just don’t plan on going anywhere. They found something this year, something they believe will last, something that if it does will make Dodgers vs. Mets a regular playoff series. Los Angeles won this time, but the lessons New York reaped have value. The dawn of the Mets’ resurgence has arrived. It’s just a matter of time until the full breadth of that reveals itself.
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Bradford Doolittle
CHICAGO — Right-hander Cade Horton was removed after three innings of his start in the Chicago Cubs‘ game against the New York Mets on Tuesday because of back tightness. The club said Horton was removed “as a precaution” after throwing just 29 pitches.
Horton, a leading NL Rookie of the Year candidate, allowed a leadoff homer to New York’s Francisco Lindor but settled down and looked sharp for the remainder of his short outing. Horton allowed two hits, struck out two and departed with the Cubs leading 5-1.
After the Cubs extended the advantage to 6-1, New York rallied against the Chicago bullpen, scoring five unearned runs against Michael Soroka to tie the game and later grabbing the lead in a matchup with playoff implications for both clubs.
Horton, 24, is 11-4 on the season with a 2.67 ERA over 118 innings. The win total leads all rookie pitchers and the ERA leads rookies who have logged at least 100 innings.
The 12-team College Football Playoff has significantly broadened the pool of candidates to include any team that has a chance to win its conference — and that makes every FBS race matter longer, as the selection committee’s five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed spots in the playoff.
Heading into the final Saturday of September, the shifting continues as conference races are just beginning to heat up.
Below you’ll find one team in the spotlight for each of the Power 4 leagues and another identified as an enigma. We’ve also tiered schools into three groups. Teams with Would be in status are featured in this week’s top 12 projection, a snapshot of what the selection committee’s ranking would look like if it were released today. A team with Work to do is passing the eye test (for the most part) and has a chance at winning its conference, which means a guaranteed spot in the playoff. And a team that Would be out is playing in the shadows of the playoff — for now.
The 13-member selection committee doesn’t always agree with the Allstate Playoff Predictor, so the following categories are based on historical knowledge of the group’s tendencies plus what each team has done to date.
Reminder: This will change week-to-week as each team builds — or busts — its résumé.
Jump to a conference:
ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten
SEC | Independent | Group of 5
Bracket
SEC
Spotlight: Ole Miss. The Rebels gained serious top-12 consideration this week after a 4-0 start that included back-to-back wins against SEC opponents (Kentucky and Arkansas) and a 45-10 drubbing of a talented Tulane team. Ole Miss is No. 7 in ESPN’s strength of record metric, which means the average top-25 team would have a 47.7% chance to achieve the same record against the same opponents. The real test, though, is on Saturday when Ole Miss hosts LSU (3:30 p.m., ABC). If the Rebels win, they should be undefeated heading into back-to-back road trips to Georgia and Oklahoma. Those are the most difficult games on the schedule. If the Rebels can go 2-1 against those three opponents, they’d almost certainly be in. ESPN’s FPI gives Ole Miss a 67% chance to reach the playoff.
The enigma: Texas. The Longhorns dropped out of the top 12 this week because Texas Tech moved in. That doesn’t mean Texas isn’t a playoff team — it just hasn’t proved it yet with wins against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston. The SEC season opener at Florida on Oct. 4 is also a strange one, as it’s a game the Longhorns could lose but shouldn’t if they are a real playoff team. They’ve got a bye week to prepare for it. A Texas win won’t do much to reassert its place in the national picture, but a loss would be telling. The most likely outcome is the selection committee will learn more about Texas on Oct. 11 against rival Oklahoma, which is in the projected top 12 this week.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M
Work to do: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas, Vanderbilt
Would be out: Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina
Big Ten
Spotlight: Indiana. No team saw its playoff chances increase more this week than Indiana, which jumped 28% and now has a 57% chance to reach the CFP, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor. Saturday’s historic beatdown of the Illini pushed the Hoosiers to No. 11 in the latest projection, but that means they would be excluded from the field during the seeding process. IU would get bumped out to make room for Memphis, the projected winner of the American and fifth-highest-ranked conference champion. Because Memphis is currently projected outside of the committee’s top 12 — and projected Big 12 winner Texas Tech is currently in the No. 12 spot — the committee’s No. 11 team is the one that gets bounced. If the Hoosiers continue to dominate, though, they will likely climb to a safer spot within the top 10. Indiana has a tougher playoff path this year than last, as it travels to both Oregon and Penn State. ESPN’s FPI gives the Hoosiers less than a 50% chance to beat the Ducks but projects them to beat Penn State.
The enigma: Michigan. The true identity of this team — whether it’s been with interim head coach Biff Poggi or head coach Sherrone Moore — remains a mystery. The Wolverines continue to develop along with freshman starting quarterback Bryce Underwood, who has rebounded since the Week 2 loss at Oklahoma. Michigan found a way to win at Nebraska, the defense for the most part has been above average, and the Wolverines don’t have to play Penn State or Oregon. With the exception of the regular-season finale against rival Ohio State, Michigan’s toughest game will be on Oct. 11 at USC. The Wolverines most likely need to at least split with those opponents to avoid a third loss. If Michigan can do that and finish as a two-loss team, the selection committee would give the Wolverines serious consideration for a top-12 spot. The question is how many other two-loss teams would be out there — and how their résumés would stack up.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State
Work to do: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, USC, Maryland, Washington
Would be out: Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin
ACC
Spotlight: Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have the third-best chance to reach the ACC title game (12.2%), according to ESPN Analytics, behind Florida State and Miami. Georgia Tech doesn’t face either of those teams during the regular season — which is why the Jackets might not lose until the regular-season finale against rival Georgia. And they took the Bulldogs to eight overtimes last year in one of the wildest games of the season. If the Jackets finish as a one-loss team with a close loss to Georgia, they’d be in the ACC title game. Florida State and Miami play each other, so one of them has a guaranteed league loss. Georgia Tech would be a lock with an ACC title, but what if it loses, with its only two losses coming to two conference champions — Georgia and whoever wins the ACC? The committee would have a significant debate about this, and it would depend on how the game unfolded and how many other two-loss teams were out there. It’s hard to imagine the committee excluding the ACC runner-up in that scenario, which means the league could get three teams in.
The enigma: Syracuse. That’s right, the Syracuse team that beat Clemson. On the road. With its backup quarterback finishing the game. Are these guys for real? Their lone loss was to a Tennessee team that remains in the committee’s projected top 12. The wins, though, leave something to prove before Syracuse is taken seriously as a contender in the ACC, let alone the CFP. The Orange needed overtime to beat UConn, and the committee will look right over a 66-24 win against Colgate. It’s going to get more difficult, as the Orange will face Georgia Tech and have back-to-back November road trips to Miami and Notre Dame, with a bye week in between. And if Syracuse is going to keep winning, it’s going to have to do it with backup quarterback Rickie Collins, an LSU transfer. ESPN’s FPI gives the Orange less than a 50% chance to win each of those games and the Oct. 4 trip to SMU.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Florida State, Miami
Work to do: Cal, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest
Would be out: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, SMU, Stanford, Virginia Tech
Big 12
Spotlight: Iowa State. The Cyclones are still hanging around at 4-0, but Texas Tech has eclipsed them as the team to beat in the Big 12 after Saturday’s win at Utah. The Red Raiders now have the best chance to win the league (28.6%), while Iowa State’s chances of even reaching the game are now seventh best at 13%. The Cyclones’ best win is against rival Iowa, as the season-opening win against K-State in Dublin has been diminished by the Wildcats’ 1-3 start. Iowa State had a bye week to prepare for Saturday’s home game against Arizona, which could be more difficult than it might seem. The key stretch for the Cyclones, though, starts on Oct. 25 against BYU, followed by Arizona State and a Nov. 8 trip to TCU.
The enigma: TCU. Just how good is this Horned Frogs team? The season-opening win at North Carolina caught the nation’s attention for all the wrong reasons — the focus was on Bill Belichick’s first loss as a college coach, not the Frogs’ road win. The 35-24 win against SMU was more impressive, even though it was at home, as it was against the best competition to date and the last scheduled game between the former Southwest Conference rivals. Coach Sonny Dykes has engineered the Frogs to a miracle playoff berth before. Can he do it again? According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, TCU has the third-best chance in the Big 12 to reach the CFP (17.6%). If the Frogs don’t clinch a spot with a Big 12 title, it’s going to be tough to win a debate over other contenders if they finish with two losses.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Texas Tech
Work to do: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, TCU, UCF, Utah
Would be out: Baylor, Kansas State, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Colorado
Independent
Would be out: Notre Dame. The Irish got their first win on Saturday against Purdue and earned some style points in the process, beating the Boilermakers 56-30. They did exactly what they needed to following an 0-2 start. Now they have to do it nine more times. Even with a 10-2 finish, an at-large bid isn’t a guarantee. It depends on how many other 10-2 teams the committee has to consider, what their résumés are — and what those two losses look like. If nothing else, Notre Dame might finish with two of the best losses in the country.
Group of 5
Spotlight: Memphis. The Tigers jumped into the top G5 spot following their 32-31 win against Arkansas on Saturday. Memphis edged South Florida for lead contender status for a playoff bid as one of the five projected highest-ranked conference champions. Memphis rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Arkansas, its fourth straight home win against an SEC opponent. According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, Memphis has a 36% chance to reach the playoff, the best among Group of 5 schools. The American has a 73% chance to send a team to the CFP, as four of the six Group of 5 teams with at least a 5% chance come from that conference (Memphis, North Texas, South Florida and Tulane). Speaking of North Texas …
The enigma: North Texas. Meet the Mean Green, an undefeated team that has wins against Washington State and Army. It took overtime to beat both Army and Western Michigan on the road, but North Texas dismantled Washington State 59-10. South Florida and Navy are the two toughest opponents remaining, but North Texas doesn’t currently have any top-25 teams on its schedule. According to ESPN Analytics, it has the second-best chance to win the American (21.5%) behind Memphis (42.7%). Those teams don’t play each other during the regular season.
If the playoff were today
Would be in: Memphis
Work to do: Navy, North Texas, South Florida, Tulane, UNLV
Bracket
Based on our weekly projection, the seeding would be:
First-round byes
No. 1 Miami (ACC champ)
No. 2 Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
No. 3 Georgia (SEC champ)
No. 4 Florida State
First-round games
On campus, Dec. 19 and 20
No. 12 Memphis (American champ) at No. 5 LSU
No. 11 Texas Tech (Big 12 champ) at No. 6 Texas A&M
No. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Oklahoma
No. 9 Penn State at No. 8 Oregon
Quarterfinal games
At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
No. 12 Memphis/No. 5 LSU winner vs. No. 4 Florida State
No. 11 Texas Tech/No. 6 Texas A&M winner vs. No. 3 Georgia
No. 10 Tennessee/No. 7 Oklahoma winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
No. 9 Penn State/No. 8 Oregon winner vs. No. 1 Miami
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