The Math Behind the Madness
So, you’re telling me there’s a chance. That line from *Dumb and Dumber* hits hard for New York Mets fans right now. The team has won 11 of its last 15 games, but the road to the postseason is nearly closed. According to reports, the odds of the Mets reaching the playoffs are just 0.1 percent. It is better than zero, but it is not much more. The team currently trails the San Diego Padres by 10 games for the final wild-card spot. Six other teams stand in their way.
To even get a seat at the table, the Mets must reach 83 wins. A year back, the final wild-card team secured this number of total victories. To hit that mark, New York must go 25-9 for the rest of the season. That requires a .735 winning percentage. It is an extraordinarily tall order for a squad that struggled all year. The team needs to win more than three out of every four games left on the schedule.
A Tough Road Ahead
The schedule does not get easier for the Mets. Per reports, the team faces the seventh-most difficult remaining strength of schedule. Their opponents own a combined .520 winning percentage. The Mets must play 12 games against division leaders, including the White Sox and Rays on the road. They also face the Brewers and Astros at home. The Bronx hosts the Subway Series against the Yankees, which looms large. Four more games against the contending Phillies will happen at Citi Field.
Of the 34 games left, 18 are on the road. The Mets are seven games under .500 away from home. They have found some soft spots, though. They play the last-place Giants at Citi Field from September 4-6. They also face the under-.500 Orioles and Pete Alonso from September 14-16. The team closes the year against the Rangers and Nationals, who are both under .500.
Energy in the Clubhouse
Interim manager Andy Green took over on June 26, replacing Carlos Mendoza. Since that change, the Mets have played better baseball. They are 24-23 in that span. Young players like Nolan McLean and Christian Scott have emerged. Journeyman types like Daniel Duarte and Jared Young have produced. “Guys are playing good baseball,” Green said recently. He noted the mentality changed from “Here we go again” to “Here we go again, this is what we do”
The players feel the shift too. “I feel like we’re playing loose,” Scott said. “With a lot of new guys, there’s an influx of energy. We are having fun and avoiding placing excessive pressure on ourselves. And winning is more fun. The odds are incredibly slim, but the team keeps winning. They need this 11-4 stretch to be a sign of the final six weeks to come. is the Mets have to keep winning, and really can’t afford many slipups.
While the team chases a miracle, the organization honors its past. Legendary broadcaster Howie Rose will retire at the end of the club’s home schedule. The team will celebrate Rose with a special retirement ceremony before the last game of the season on Sunday, Sept. 20. “For generations of Mets fans, Howie Rose has been more than a broadcaster, he has been the soundtrack of summer and the voice behind some of the most memorable moments in our history,” owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. Rose, 72, grew up a Mets fan in Queens and started calling games for the team in 1987. He has been their lead play-by-play voice on the radio since 2006. The team will hand out a “Put it in the books” notebook and scorecard to the first 15,000 fans.
