Why the Mets' 2024 MLB playoff run is the start of something big

In a few years, when the New York Mets have become the powerhouse they will be, they will look back on the 2024 season when it all started. Something special happened in Queens this year. And the fact that it ended in disappointment, with the Los Angeles Dodgers sending them out of the National League Championship Series with a 10-5 win in Game 6 on Sunday night, in no way diminishes what the Mets accomplished.

As much as this year was outwardly all about Grimace and OMG and a happy pumpkin, what was more important were the dramatic, substantial changes that occurred in an organization that had operated less like a leviathan and more like a mid-sized team for far too long Large consumer acted as a cosplayer. The internal change brought about by owner Steve Cohen's hiring of David Stearns as president of baseball operations and Carlos Mendoza as manager brought two executives into the organization that immediately changed a culture long known for its brokenness. turned upside down. Nothing in baseball promotes success like the combination of money and stability – a Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series matchup suggests this – and after decades of shady ownership and early stumbles by Cohen, the Mets were able to emerge overnight to claim.

That all of this came to fruition this postseason, against a backdrop of the Mets portraying themselves as the ultimate meme team, made for an appealing contrast. As the organization began to grow, it experienced simultaneous growth on the field and in the clubhouse.

“The culture that we live in and that we are building,” said infielder Jose Iglesias, “is moving in the right direction.”

For a fan base that fell in love with these Mets after their 0-5 and 24-35 starts succumbed to one dramatic comeback after another, this season will be remembered less for its disappointments than for the joy it brought. Grimace, the McDonald's character whose first pitch before a June game at Citi Field coincided with a first-run streak, 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 celebration was the embodiment of Mets fans' long-hidden identity, their desire to be exuberant and outlandish, forever tempered by the feeling that it would be rewarded with something bad.

“This is the craziest team I've ever played on. We laugh about it,” Mets designated hitter JD Martinez said. “We just never know what will happen. Iggy might come with a new song, Bader might come with a new outfit, and Pete might say some crazy things. It’s just fun.”

Watching Citi Field turn into the biggest singalong in New York every time shortstop Francisco Lindor came to bat – fans chanting his walk-up song “My Girl” and stopping the warble even as the music fell silent – brought a different dimension to the stadium than in recent years. At the same time, attributing the Mets' success to atmosphere rather than building a roster of solid baseball players does a disservice to Stearns' work in talent acquisition and Mendoza's work in attracting the best versions of his players.

Lindor, who called the players-only meeting in late May that catalyzed the Mets far more than the purple creature or the pop song, reaffirmed his Hall of Fame credibility and will finish second to Shohei Ohtani in the NL MVP voting . From the day of the meeting, the Mets were the best team in baseball at 67-40. And during that four-month period, Lindor recorded the most wins over relief in the NL, even more than Ohtani, who hit 40 home runs and stole 46 bases during that time.

After the final scheduled game day of the regular season, the Mets only seemed to gain more traction. Lindor's home run in the Mets' 161st game, part of a doubleheader that was moved to the Monday after the originally scheduled finale, secured New York's postseason berth. In the wild card round, Alonso delivered a seismic home run in the ninth inning to knock out the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. The magic continued in the division series as Lindor's grand slam passed the rival Philadelphia Phillies and New York celebrated its first playoff win at Citi Field.

Then they met the team they would ultimately like to be. The Dodgers – who won 98 games, the Mets 89 – killed the possibility of a Subway Series by feasting on a bullpen that tired and faltered throughout the series. Over 32 innings, the Mets relievers allowed 57 baserunners and 24 earned runs. The fact that Mendoza got as much out of them as he did before the NLCS showed that his skill goes beyond exemplary communication with players.

It's not like the Mets will be stuck in bullpen purgatory forever, either. One of Stearns' strengths in Milwaukee, where he led a small team to five playoff appearances in six seasons, was building a lockdown bullpen. He's prepared to do the same with the Mets, especially given the financial leeway he'll enter the winter with to build on a talented core.

Lindor remains the linchpin. Additionally, third baseman Mark Vientos has proven to be 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 on Opening Day, Edwin Diaz fought through a midseason slump to reemerge as a closer capable of going multiple innings, and David Peterson posted a 2.90 ERA over 131 innings. In addition, they can still use a few hitters (Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte) and some strong arms (Reed Garrett, Tylor Megill, Jose Butto).

The Mets have about $190 million in payroll this winter, including some tough decisions: Alonso, one of the franchise's most popular players, enters free agency after a postseason with four home runs and a .999 OPS . Iglesias, Martinez, Winker and Bader, all of whom contributed to the change in the club's culture, may also disappear, as well as left-hander Sean Manaea, who can opt out of the contract signed in January.

Without any of those players, their payroll currently stands at around $160 million, and that's for a roster that needs expansion rather than rebuilding.

It's a great starting point. Especially for Stearns, perhaps the best in the business when it comes to complementing a team of stars. However, it is also assumed that a team that does not have payrolls in the region of $300 million for three consecutive years remains one of the top-spending teams in the game.

This is exactly the right time for 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 competition for his services begins. As much as the Yankees would like to re-sign him to a $500 million-plus contract, especially after a run to their first World Series since 2009, Cohen and Stearns are keenly aware of the rarity of high-pitch players and high ceilings, Soto is aware of how few will reach free agency in the coming offseasons.

In the winter of 2025, it will be Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker. The season after that is relatively barren. Heading into the 2027 offseason, catchers Adleyrutschman and William Contreras are at the top of the class. This could be the Mets' best opportunity to land a true franchise superstar without having to deplete their farm system.

If Soto is the Mets' top priority, rebuilding their rotation won't be long in coming. Manaea, right-hander Luis Severino and left-hander Jose Quintana, who have combined to throw more than 37% of New York's innings this season, are all expected to be free agents. Right-hander Corbin Burnes, who Stearns selected in the fourth round of his first draft with Milwaukee, is a free agent. This also applies to left-handers Blake Snell and Max Fried. Although Cohen has shown a penchant for handing out excessive amounts of money to starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, both of whom were later traded, he doesn't have overwhelming options there either, as he's partnered with future AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (later ) in 2026), Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (2025), right-hander Zac Gallen (2025), left-hander Garrett Crochet (2026) and right-hander Logan Gilbert (2027) are the best options after this winter.

Maybe they get Soto, and if not, maybe they build their winter around Alonso, or maybe Cohen shrugs and signs them both and adds an ace. His willingness and ability to dive headfirst into free agency have made him a popular owner after less than five years in office, a rarity in the industry. However, Cohen is much more than just money. He recognizes the power of a good management team, of operating on the fringes and of investing in things beyond the major league payroll. Teams are not just made up of superstars. They are the product of talent, work and most of all – unquantifiable but undeniable – a kind of determination that the Mets have encountered throughout their season.

“The guys understand the importance of competing – taking on every pitch,” Iglesias said. “We just give it everything we have, every pitch, every at-bat. And then usually the God of baseball helps you – he helps you if you approach it with the right energy and the right attitude.”

From LOL to OMG, the Mets are strutting their stuff with a different mindset today. Gone is the shakiness of seasons past, replaced by the update of this year and these playoffs. The Mets are no longer a team that constantly switches between general managers and managers. You are here. And while 2025 may not match the miracle of 2024, what happened in October has prepared New York for the next step.

Now comes the imperative part. It's hard to do it again, and doing it again afterward will reinforce that the Mets aren't taking anything for granted. They just don't plan on going anywhere. They found something this year that they believe will last, something that will make Dodgers vs. Mets a regular playoff series if they can pull it off. Los Angeles won this time, but the lessons New York learned are valuable. The beginning of the Mets' resurgence has arrived. It is only a matter of time before the full extent is revealed.