The Mets’ 2026 season has gone off the rails, but September at least gives them something to do: spoil somebody else’s year.
After a winter of big spending that didn’t pay off, a trade deadline sell-off and a manager firing, New York enters the final month with little left to chase for itself. Still, the schedule has handed them a role that could matter to plenty of teams around the league.
Theo DeRosa of MLB.com pointed out that the Mets are playing better right now and are in position to make life miserable for a long list of contenders. As he wrote, "New York also took two of three from the AL-leading Rays from Monday-Wednesday in St. Petersburg, a major sign the Mets are ready to play the role of September spoilers," DeRosa writes.
That stretch helped New York go 15-12 in August, and it set up five more chances to affect the postseason picture down the stretch.
The first stop is a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants, and that one carries no real weight. After that, though, the Mets get a series with the Miami Marlins that could help sort out whether Miami belongs in the contender conversation or is still stuck on the outside.
Then comes the New York Yankees, who are battling for the AL East crown while also trying to hold off the Boston Red Sox for the top AL Wild Card position.
The next opponent is the Baltimore Orioles, with Pete Alonso and Luis Robert Jr. among a group of former Mets players on that roster. Baltimore is still hanging around in the AL Wild Card chase, and a loss to New York would be a painful one.
After that, the Mets draw their biggest test of the month: a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. If New York takes three of four there, the Braves’ hopes of catching Atlanta would be all but finished, and the Mets could also slide out of a postseason spot.
The final two matchups are three-game series against the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals. Neither team has been especially strong, but both could still be in the mix for a Wild Card berth, and the Rangers may even be fighting for the AL West title.
So while the Mets’ own season has been a disappointment, September still offers a lot of leverage. They may not be chasing October themselves, but they have plenty of chances to decide who else gets there.
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What makes Batys situation more complicated is that his versatility has not translated into stability, and the Mets have other players forcing their way into the lineup. There have been signs of improvement lately, which at least keeps the conversation open, but the bigger question is whether those gains arrive soon enough to secure him a meaningful spot in the clubs plans. [Read more 🡒]