The New York Mets currently hold a 0.1% chance of making the postseason, according to Fangraphs, but infielder Francisco Lindor is drawing on past experiences to maintain hope. Lindor pointed to his 2017 season with the Cleveland Guardians, where the team achieved a 22-game winning streak – the second-longest in American League history – to surge into the playoffs. "It just reminds you crazy things like that can happen," Lindor said.
The Mets' current standing at 51-66 places them 10 ½ games behind a National League wild card spot after a recent win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. To mirror the success of last season's Cincinnati Reds, who secured the final NL wild card with 83 wins, the Mets would likely need to finish the season with a 32-13 record.
Luke Weaver, a former Mets pitcher now with the Pirates, noted that teams like the Boston Red Sox have demonstrated that dramatic turnarounds are possible. The Red Sox experienced a 36-game stretch where they went 31-5, significantly boosting their playoff chances. "It’s just amazing how you can go from one really bad moment to one exceptional one," Weaver said. "I think our game in particular, with how many games there are and how it's every day, the momentum can be such a wave."
Adding to the Mets' challenge is a recently rebuilt bullpen composed largely of unproven players, following trades that sent away key relievers. The starting rotation also features pitchers like Zac Thornton, who has limited major league experience, and Robert Stock, who recently returned from surgery. Stock is slated to start on Saturday.
"Nobody has been a great team and been under .500 and gotten to the playoffs for free," Weaver commented. "It doesn’t work like that. You have got to have some résumé, but there is a lot of great potential over there, and they should be excited for the future. I know it’s a pretty tough deal right now, but you can win no matter what, and you cherish and realize how hard winning is sometimes, and when you are doing it, you don’t take it for granted."