The 2025 New York Mets season ended in heartbreak on Sunday as a 4-0 loss to the Miami Marlins eliminated them from postseason contention. Entering the regular-season finale, New York needed a win coupled with a Cincinnati Reds loss to claim the National League’s final wild-card spot.
Though Cincinnati lost 4-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Mets’ bats slept, their silence a somber chronicle of a season unfulfilled, which helped the Reds claim the No. 6 seed in the NL playoffs and set up a matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers
At 45-24 on June 12, New York held baseball’s best record, a season-high 21 games above .500, and a nine-game lead over the rest of the National League, including a 10-game cushion over the Reds. Yet, what followed was a dramatic reversal.
The Mets went 38-55 over the final 93 games, enduring two seven-game losing streaks and an eight-game skid in September. This slide allowed the Philadelphia Phillies to capture the NL East and gave the Reds the chance to overtake New York for the final wild-card berth.
The season finale against Miami was emblematic of the Mets’ second-half woes. Starter Sean Manaea, limited to just 12 starts due to injury, allowed two walks in the second inning and was removed after recording only five outs. A seven-man bullpen gave up four runs, including an important two-run double by Eric Wagaman and Brian Navarreto, and a three-run rally finished with Javier Sanoja’s triple, which ultimately sealed the game. The New York offense had opportunities, notably in the fifth inning when they loaded the bases with two outs. Pete Alonso, their All-Star slugger, hit a 116-mph liner directly to Marlins left fielder Sanoja, ending the rally.
The Mets finished the season 0-67 in games when trailing after eight innings, the only team in Major League Baseball not to win a single such contest. Offensively, the team also struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-8 in the season finale despite seven walks and five hits. Even with a star trio of Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Alonso, whose combined 15.8 WAR carried the team, the supporting cast failed to produce at critical moments.
Every injury and poor start on the mound added to the Mets’ troubles. Kodai Senga’s hamstring injury on June 12 was the turning point of the season, while $75 million signing Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Griffin Canning all struggled with health or performance. New York relied on young pitchers Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat late in the season, with only McLean showing effectiveness, posting a 2.06 ERA over eight starts.
The Mets' failure to capitalize on a weak wild-card field and an open-door scenario in the final game epitomizes a season of squandered potential.
