Reds Hammer Mets: New York Reeling After Brutal Loss

The New York Mets’ 2024 season ended with a thud. They missed the playoffs, even though the Cincinnati Reds lost too.

With just one more win, the Mets could’ve controlled their postseason fate. Instead, they fumbled right at the finish line.

Today, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns will meet the media at Citi Field for his end-of-year press conference. That’s bound to be a tense session, with the collapse of a team that really seemed to have the talent and resources to contend.

As the regular season closed, baseball fans saw not just disappointment in Queens, but also some emotional farewells and memorable moments across the league.

Mets Collapse at the Finish Line

The Mets only needed one more win in their final games to lock in a playoff spot. They didn’t get it, and the Reds’ loss just made it sting more.

This wasn’t just bad luck. They lost focus, struggled to execute, and maybe even lost a bit of belief.

Mets fans, already tired of inconsistency, pointed to Cedric Mullins’ quiet bat in crunch time as a symbol of the team’s struggles.

Frustration Among the Fanbase

Mullins, who’s clearly got talent, just couldn’t ignite the offense when it mattered most. The bats went cold, the pitching slipped up, and what looked promising just faded away.

Stearns’ press conference will probably touch on these issues and what the team plans to do about them.

What Could Have Been

Meanwhile, Mets fans watched other teams thrive. In Atlanta, Ronald Acuña Jr. finished his season with a home run, and Chris Sale picked up a win.

Those late-season heroics? That’s exactly what the Mets missed out on.

Inspirations and Missed Opportunities

Watching players like Acuña and Sale step up when it counts really shows the gap between the Mets and the top playoff teams. The front office has some work to do this offseason.

Farewells That Mark the End of an Era

The last days of the season brought some heartfelt goodbyes. Former All-Star Garrett Cooper retired after nearly a decade in MLB, having played for five different teams.

Michael A. Taylor also called it a career. He got a standing ovation at Nationals Park, which says a lot about how much he meant to people there.

Wilmer Flores and Clayton Kershaw

Wilmer Flores probably played his last game for the Giants, and fans made sure he felt appreciated. On the West Coast, Clayton Kershaw threw 5.1 scoreless innings—maybe his final regular-season start—as he waits to see if the Dodgers can make another run.

The Cleveland Guardians’ Historic Comeback

Not every story was about disappointment. The Cleveland Guardians pulled off something wild by erasing a 15.5-game deficit to win the AL Central.

That comeback will stick in fans’ memories for a long time. Sometimes, belief and a bit of luck really can flip a season on its head.

No No-Hitters for the First Time Since 2005

Here’s a weird one: 2024 was just the fifth season since divisions started with no no-hitters at all. Pitchers had their moments, but nobody managed to keep a lineup hitless.

That’ll definitely spark some talk about how hitters and pitchers are adjusting, or maybe about the rules themselves.

Looking Ahead for the Mets

The Mets now face an offseason full of tough choices. The core talent looks solid, but a few big issues are hard to ignore:

• Offensive consistency — They need hitters who show up when the pressure’s on.
• Late-season stamina — Can this team keep it together through all 162 games?
• Leadership — Bringing in some seasoned veterans could really steady the clubhouse when things get rough.

As 2024 winds down, you can’t help but notice the Mets had every shot at October baseball. Somehow, it slipped right through their fingers.

Fans will be watching. They’ll wait and see if the Mets finally turn all that potential into something real in 2025.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Mets Morning News: Reds To Metsies: Drop Dead