The 2024 New York Mets season was the franchise's 63rd season in Major League Baseball, their 16th at Citi Field, and their fourth under majority owner Steve Cohen.
After a dismal 22–33 start to the season following a 10–3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29, the team held a critical meeting, led by shortstop Francisco Lindor. The Mets went 67–40 the rest of the way to finish with a 89–73 record.Full MLB playoff bracket set as Mets, Braves get in: Which teams could be on upset watch?, The Athletic, September 30, 2024 Following a win over the Boston Red Sox on September 4, they improved on their 75–87 record from their previous season.
On September 30, the Mets clinched a postseason berth for the second time in the past three seasons with an 8–7 win against the Atlanta Braves during the first game of a doubleheader.
One of the more memorable moments of the season occurred on June 12, when the McDonald's mascot Grimace threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game against the Miami Marlins. The team then embarked on a seven-game win streak, a run that fans humorously credited to Grimace's good luck. The Mets also unveiled a new purple "Grimace Seat" in Citi Field on September 16.
Another moment humorously credited for the Mets success was the release of the song "OMG" by infielder Jose Iglesias, which the team played following home runs by Mets players at Citi Field and became the unofficial anthem of the team.
The Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Wild Card Series two games to one to advance to the National League Division Series for the first time since 2015. They beat their division rival Philadelphia Phillies three games to one to advance them to the National League Championship Series, becoming the 8th team in MLB history to make the LCS after being 11 or more games below .500. However, the Mets were defeated four games to two by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, ending their historic and magical playoff run. Despite the loss, one highlight came in Game 5 when the Mets became the first team since the 2002 Angels to avoid striking out in a postseason game.
Because of the team's vibrancy and perseverance, accumulating a league-leading 44 comeback victories with flair, and their improbable success in erasing a large postseason deficit, the 2024 season is regarded as one of the greatest in Mets history.
Offseason On October 2, 2023, the Mets formally introduced David Stearns as their new president of baseball operations. They also fired manager Buck Showalter, who led the Mets to a wild card berth in 2022 in which the Mets lost in three games to the San Diego Padres, but failed to improve on that in 2023 as the Mets went 75–87 and traded away pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in an attempt to lower payroll at the trade deadline.
On October 5, GM Billy Eppler stepped down amid an investigation by MLB into him and the Mets for improperly using the injured list during the 2023 season.
On November 13, the Mets named former New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their next manager. He signed a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year.
Transactions 2023 November 6 – claimed infielder Zack Short off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. November 30 – signed right-handed relief pitcher Austin Adams to a one-year contract. December 1 – signed right-handed starting pitcher Luis Severino to a one-year, $13 million contract. The Mets also signed infielder Joey Wendle to a one-year, $2 million contract. December 5 – signed right-handed relief pitcher Michael Tonkin to a one-year, $1 million contract. December 14 – signed right-handed relief pitcher Jorge López to a one-year, $2 million contract. December 18 – acquired right-handed relief pitcher Yohan Ramírez from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for cash considerations. December 20 – acquired right-handed starting pitcher Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitching prospect Coleman Crow.
2024 January 4 – signed center fielder Harrison Bader to a one-year, $10.5 million contract. January 8 – signed left-handed starting pitcher Sean Manaea to a two-year, $28 million contract including an opt-out after the 2024 season. January 11 – signed first baseman Pete Alonso to a one-year, $20.5 million contract avoiding arbitration. January 30 – re-signed right-handed relief pitcher Adam Ottavino to a one-year, $4.5 million contract. February 2 – signed right-handed relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami to a one-year, $3.35 million contract plus up to $850,000 in incentives. The Mets also signed left-handed relief pitcher Jake Diekman to a one-year, $4 million contract plus a vesting option for 2025. March 21 – signed designated hitter J. D. Martinez to a one-year, $12 million contract.
Regular season
March–April The Mets started the season 0–5 for the first time since 2005 by getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers and losing their first two games against the Detroit Tigers.Mets bullpen squanders early lead for worst start since 2005, NJ.com, April 4, 2024 They were able to avoid a sweep to the Tigers thanks to a 9th inning comeback on April 4 while ruining a no-hitter by the Tigers through 7 innings to get their first win of the season.After Alonso's clutch HR, Taylor's walk-off gives Mets 1st win, MLB.com, April 4, 2024 By April 20, the Mets' record improved to 12–8 record thanks to a six-game winning streak and five series wins in a row.Mets extend win streak to six, beat Dodgers 6-4, San Diego Tribune, April 20, 2024 The Mets then entered a 1–5 stretch to fall back to .500 by April 27, losing two consecutive series in the process.(3 UP, 3 DOWN: METS’ WALK-OFF HEROICS HIGHLIGHT OF SERIES LOSS TO CARDINALS, MetsMorizedOnline, April 29, 2024 They would recover to remain above .500 and to avoid a sweep thanks to an 11th inning walk-off home run by Mark Vientos on April 28.Mark Vientos' walk-off HR lifts Mets over Cardinals in 11 innings, Reuters, April 28, 2024
May At the end of April into the beginning of May, the Mets split the next series against the Chicago Cubs, including coming back from a 4–0 deficit on May 2, to remain above .500 with a 16-15 record.MLB Roundup: Mets beat Cubs in 11 to split series, SportsNet, May 3, 2024Mets notch walk-off win over Cubs thanks to Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte's defense, NorthJersey.com, May 2, 2024 The Mets would then proceed to blow 3 consecutive leads in a series against the Tampa Bay Rays to fall to 16-18 and below .500.4 takeaways as the Mets are swept away in dramatic fashion against the Rays, NorthJersey.com, May 5, 2024 This sweep would begin a May that was full of struggles for the Mets, with multiple bullpen collapses and blown leads, most infamously by blowing a 9–5 lead in the bottom of the 9th inning on May 18 against the Miami Marlins.How the Mets melted down in May: Blown saves, near-no-hitters, injuries and everything else that went wrong, CBS Sports, May 30, 2024DeLuca DeLivers walk-off win, sweep for Rays, MLB.com, May 5, 2024 By May 29, following getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets fell to 22–33, and a players-only meeting was held for forty minutes led by Francisco Lindor.Ohtani and Smith power Dodgers past reeling Mets 10–3 for 3-game sweep, AP News, May 30, 2024 The meeting initially produced positive results, as the Mets won the next two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks to improve to 24–33.
June The Mets started June by losing two games to fall back to 24–35.3 Takeaways from the Mets series split with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Empire Sports Media, June 3, 2024 Their loss on June 2 marked the sixth time the Mets lost a game after leading after eight innings.WATCH: Mets Blow Late-Game Lead After One of the Most Immediate Announcer’s Jinxes You’ll Ever See, Mediate, June 2, 2024 However, they would respond with their first sweep in a 3-game series since April, against the Washington Nationals from June 3–5.Torrens hits two homers, Lindor another as Mets beat Nationals 9-1, ESPN, June 5, 2024 Subsequently, the Mets traveled to London for the MLB London Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite the Phillies having the best record in baseball at the time, the Mets achieved a split, losing the first game on June 8 but winning on June 9 by coming back from a 3–0 deficit to defeat the Phillies 6–5 on a game-ending double play.Mets split London Series with Phillies: What we learned as wild double play caps hectic ninth inning, CBS Sports, June 9, 2024 Following a loss on June 11 to the Marlins, the Mets began a 7–game winning streak from June 12 to 18, which many fans and media attributed to McDonald's character Grimace throwing out the first pitch on June 12. The streak included coming back from a 6–2 deficit on June 18 against the Texas Rangers.Why Mets Fans Attribute 7-Game Winning Streak To Grimace, The McDonald's Mascot, Forbes, June 19, 2024 The Mets' success in the month of June continued as the team reached .500 by sweeping the New York Yankees from June 25–26.Mets thump Yanks again, climb back to .500, MLB.com, June 27, 2024 However, they proceeded to lose their first series in a month to the Houston Astros, including a blown 6–1 lead on June 29.Mets Lose Their First Series in Over a Month, Back Sports Page, July 1, 2024 As a result, they finished the month, and the halfway point of their season, at 40–41.Mets flip narrative in June to enter midpoint on a high note, MLB.com, June 30, 2024
July
Following the series loss, the Mets split their next two series to open up July against the Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates, to achieve a record of 44–45.Mets split series with Pirates after 8-2 loss in Pittsburgh, New York Daily News, July 8, 2024Lackluster performance in DC leads Mets to a disappointing split with Nationals, JustMets, July 5, 20243 Takeaways from the Mets’ series split with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Empire Sports Media, July 9, 2024 After the Mets achieved their first shutout win against the Nationals on July 11,Red-hot Nimmo leads Mets into playoff position with sweep of Nats, MLB.com, July 11, 2024 they found themselves tied for a playoff position for the first time since May 9, and two games above .500 for the first time since April 24, with a 47–45 record.Mets finish off three-game sweep of Nationals, move into NL playoff spot, Colorado Springs Gazette, July 11, 2024 After a win against the Colorado Rockies the next day, the Mets advanced into a tie for the 2nd wild card spot.NL Wild Card Standings: Scorching Mets move into a tie with overachieving Cardinals, RisingApple, July 13, 2024 They proceeded to split the next two games with the Rockies, entering the All-Star break with a 49–46 record, and sole possession of the third wild card.Toglia hits 3 of Rockies 6 home runs, send Mets to All-Star break with 8-5 loss, AMNY, July 14, 20243 UP, 3 DOWN: METS ENTER ALL-STAR BREAK OVER .500, MetsMerizedOnline, July 15, 2024
Following the All-Star break, the Mets improved to a 55–48 record thanks to a series split with the Marlins, another sweep of the Yankees and winning the first two games against the Atlanta Braves, briefly surpassing them in the standings and taking the top wild card spot in the National League.Mets move past Braves in NL wild card race as Senga gets hurt again, Martinez hits slam in 8-4 win, ABC News, July 27, 2024 However, the Mets finished July going 2–3, finishing the month 57–51 and falling out of the playoff picture.It's officially August 🍂 Repost if your team is in the playoff picture!, MLB on Fox, August 1, 2024
August