In season of big meetings, Mets call one more as playoffs near

This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- Earlier this week, upon returning home from a road trip that saw them lose Francisco Lindor to a lower-back injury but continue applying pressure to other teams in the National League Wild Card race, Mets leaders called a meeting in advance of the season’s final fortnight.

Even before then, meetings had been central to the narrative arc of this season. Many Mets believe their May 29 gathering was the clear turning point that allowed them to gel as a team, hold each other accountable and, most importantly, start winning consistently. Fourteen-year veteran J.D. Martinez, one of a handful of World Series winners in the Mets clubhouse, called it “one of the better meetings I think I’ve had” as a professional.

Monday was different. The Mets were not flailing anymore; to the contrary, they had established themselves as modest favorites to nail down an NL Wild Card berth thanks to their play from June through mid-September. But they had also lost Lindor for an indeterminate amount of time, opening the door for a bit of unease to creep into their thinking.

President of baseball operations David Stearns wanted to make sure that didn’t happen. So did manager Carlos Mendoza, who simply wanted to deliver the message, “We’re good."

Then there was Pete Alonso, the only player to address the room. At the beginning of what could be his final homestand as a Met, the impending free agent spoke up about his desire to win in New York and pop champagne with his teammates -- something the Mets never really did in 2022, the last time they made the playoffs, or at any other point of Alonso’s tenure.

“Honestly, I just wanted to say some things from the heart, because this place is really special,” Alonso recalled. “There’s a great fan base here. It’s a great city. I’m just really fired up because of the situation we put ourselves in.

“Not a lot of people would necessarily have seen us in this position probably four or five months ago. A lot of people didn’t. For us to be in this position, it’s a huge testament to every single player that’s here, the coaching staff and the organization, because we’ve had that inner self-belief.”

The Mets won the night of their meeting on a Starling Marte walk-off single against the Nationals, then the next two evenings by a combined score of 20-1. That set them up for their most difficult stretch of the season: a 10-game gauntlet, with four against the Phillies, three in Atlanta and three in Milwaukee to close the year.

“We’ve got a good team coming in here,” Mendoza said before the start of the Phillies series on Thursday. “The guys are excited, and they will be ready.”

As daunting as those three rivals may seem, the Mets have been demonstrably better than them since the end of May. Since May 30, in fact, the Mets have been better than everyone. Their 63-35 record over that stretch has been the best in baseball, giving their most recent team meeting a different sort of vibe.

“It was short and concise and to the point, but the underlying message was, ‘You guys have earned the right to be here, so go enjoy it,’” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. “‘You guys have been the best team in baseball for four months now, and you’ve earned the right to have this opportunity.’”