More often than not, the 2024 New York Mets have found a way to pick themselves off the mat when all seemed lost.
On Wednesday night, they were knocked down again when they squandered a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series.
Their season now hangs in the balance. A win in Game 3 on Thursday night (7:08 p.m. ET first pitch, ESPN) will punch their ticket to the NLDS for the first time since 2015, where the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies wait. A loss sends them home and ushers in another pivotal offseason under David Stearns.
What made this season stick out, in particular, for a franchise that had made the postseason just 10 times in its previous 62 years of existence was the contributions from every corner of the roster. Which begs the question: Who will be the hero?
It could be Francisco Lindor.
The Mets’ superstar shortstop has answered the bell nearly every single time he has been called upon this season, making him the likely runner-up in the National League MVP conversation.
He had his big Mets moment on Monday with that two-run home run in the top of the ninth, which proved to be the game-winner and postseason-clincher against the Braves down in Atlanta. However, are there more unforgettable moments ahead of him?
The Brewers have done well to neutralize him thus far, holding him at 0-for-6 with three walks and an RBI across the first two games of the series.
It could be Pete Alonso.
New York’s slugging first baseman has had a down year, which says a lot about the player himself when a 34-home-run campaign is considered down. But Alonso has had many issues to work through, as he’s done for most of the season. He’s 1-for-5 with three walks in the Wild Card Series, though his most notable play so far was the double play he hit into during the first inning of Game 2 when he tripped on his own bat and snuffed out the momentum of an early rally.
The 29-year-old is going to be one of the biggest free agents available on the market this season, and with his future in Queens still very much in question, the prospect of him going out with a whimper after being one of the franchise’s most prolific sluggers feels anticlimactic.
If you have this nagging suspicion that there are still some big moments left in that bat, though, you are not alone. The clock has not struck midnight yet.
It could be JD Martinez.
The veteran designated hitter is addicted to the playoffs, after all, and a short three-game stay would fall well short of expectations for the 2018 World Series winner. He broke out of an 0-for-36 slump late in the season and knocked a huge two-run single during the Mets’ five-run fifth inning in Game 1 to break things open.
In 35 postseason games, he is batting .290 with a .956 OPS, 10 home runs, and 33 RBI. How much does the 37-year-old have left in the tank?
It could be Mark Vientos.
Although many wrote off the 24-year-old, he took his chance to start at third base and the consistent playing time that came with it. He smacked 27 home runs with 71 home runs in his first full season in the show (111 games) and is 3-for-8 with a couple RBI in his postseason debut.
It could be Tyrone Taylor or Jose Iglesias.
Vital depth options have played massive roles during the Mets’ surge to the postseason. It was Taylor’s 11-pitch double on Monday that started the Mets’ eighth-inning rally to shock the Braves, while Iglesias followed up a brilliant season in which he batted .337 by beating out Joel Payamps to the first-base bag to keep the Mets’ big inning going in Game 1.
It could be Jose Quintana.
An afterthought following the emergence of Sean Manaea and Luis Severino this season, the veteran southpaw posted an 0.74 ERA in his final six starts of the season. He has plenty of success against the Brewers during his time in the NL Central with the Cubs, Pirates, and Cardinals. He owns a 2.98 ERA in 130 innings when toeing the rubber against Milwaukee and will get the ball for Game 3.
There is something different about these Mets. That has been the case since June, as they were the best team in baseball after falling to 11 games under .500. Now it all comes down to just how much magic is left in the tank and how far it will carry them.
