The Mets did not leave home for the final time in the 2025 season on a positive note.
After earning some faith with a series win over the Padres, the Mets concluded their last homestand by dropping two out of three games to the Nationals.
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The series loss, which was the Mets’ fourth in their last five, came in painstaking fashion with a 5-3 defeat in 11 innings on Saturday, followed by a 3-2 setback on Sunday.
Now, their playoff hopes are teetering as they head into a six-game road trip tied for the final NL Wild Card spot.
“It comes down to winning,” Francisco Lindor told reporters Sunday. “We put ourselves in this position, so we gotta find a way to get out of it and that comes down to winning. We gotta win ballgames.”
As the Mets prepare to face the Cubs and Marlins on the road across these six games, here are six storylines for the final week of the regular season:
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Mets playoffs scenario: Where it stands with Reds, Diamondbacks
Since June 12 when the Mets held a 5.5-game lead in the NL East, they been 17 games under .500. But they had not been out of control of their own destiny since Sunday when the Reds drew even in the NL Wild Card race.
The Mets have lost 11 of their last 15 games, including the final two games of their season series with the Reds in early September. This cost them the tiebreaker with Cincinnati and could cost them a playoff spot if they end up with the same record at the end of the season.
“It’s been happening right in front of our eyes, so yeah, I can believe it,” Brandon Nimmo told reporters on Sunday. “We’re down to the last week of the season and our playoff hopes are in front of us. We’ve got to play winning baseball and put it all together.”
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That might still not be enough unless the Mets win more games than the Reds the rest of the way. The Reds finish with three home games against the Pirates and three on the road against the Brewers.
The Diamondbacks are one game back of both the Mets and Reds. They close with series against the Padres and Dodgers. While the Mets and Dbacks split their season series, the DBacks currently hold an edge in intradivision record (25-21 to 24-25).
After David Peterson, what is Mets’ pitching rotation?
New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson tosses a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 11, 2025, at Citizens Bank Park.
The only certainty heading into the final week for the Mets and their pitching plans is that David Peterson will open the series against the Cubs on Tuesday.
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“We’re still day by day (with) how guys are going to recover, if we pitch a guy on regular rest or we give somebody else an extra couple,” Carlos Mendoza told reporters.
It is a massive outing for Peterson, the Mets left-hander who has given up 21 earned runs in his last four starts as his ERA has ballooned to 3.98 from 2.98 after the end of July.
Beyond that, if the Mets were to stay in line, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat would pitch the final two games in the series.
That would line up Nolan McLean for the series opener in Miami, and the tag team of Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes for Saturday. But the situation remains fluid, with Mendoza trying to squeeze his best matchups for the final push.
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Can Mets clean up the errors in time?
Sep 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) throws the ball to first base for an out during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Mets did not do themselves any favors defensively in their series loss to the Nationals last weekend.
On Sunday, Lindor committed a throwing error on a relay that allowed Daylen Lile to score from third base. Pete Alonso also made a fielding error in the fourth inning, which was the Mets’ fifth error in three games.
“If we want to be where we want to be, those things can’t happen,” Lindor told reporters Sunday. “Full accountability on that. I have to be better.”
On Saturday, the Mets made errors on back-to-back plays, with the ball skipping over the glove of Juan Soto to allow a run to score, and then Alonso throwing wide as another Nationals run crossed.
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And some of the Mets’ miscues went beyond the box score, with Cedric Mullins failing to take an extra base on a collision with Lile on a hit down the left-field line.
They will need to step up fundamentally if they want to punch their ticket to the postseason.
Does Tyrone Taylor’s return in CF provide a spark?
The Mets expect Tyrone Taylor, who has been rehabbing from a right hamstring strain, to return to the team during this upcoming series.
The center field position has been a mess for the Mets down the stretch. Since Jose Siri returned from a fractured tibia, he is 1-for-12 with a double, two runs and nine strikeouts. Mullins is 5-for-24 with a home run, three runs, two RBI and a stolen base over the last three series. Neither player has flashed the elite glove that was believed to be provided.
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If nothing else, Taylor has been a stellar glove in center field all season long. He was also 10-for-21 with four doubles, six runs and six RBI in his last seven games before the injury setback.
Is this Pete Alonso’s last hurrah with Mets?
Sep 21, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after hitting a single against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Alonso has been through this song and dance before. Throughout the 2024 season, questions swirled about his future as he approached his first crack at free agency.
Now, with an opt-out available in his two-year contract, Mets fans gave him a standing ovation when he was lifted for a pinch runner in the eighth inning on Sunday.
“If I had a nickel for how many times everyone in this room has said that and I received it every time someone said it, I’d be really, really rich,” Alonso told reporters when asked if he thought about it being his last home game at Citi Field.
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“We’ll see what happens, but I’m a firm believer that the right thing will happen.”
It seems a mere formality that Alonso will opt out after the season following a strong season, featuring a .274/.350/.526 slash line with 37 home runs, 122 RBI and 83 runs. Now, can he at least finish this campaign on another high note?
Will Juan Soto reach exclusive 40-40 Club?
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) high fives teammates after scoring during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept.10, 2025, at Citizens Bank Park.
With the rule changes instituted two seasons ago promoting the speed of the game, there have been more 40-40 seasons in recent years, but it still remains an ultrarare feat.
There have been eight 40-40 seasons in the history of Major League Baseball, with Shohei Ohtani being the latest to set the bar with a 50-50 season in 2024.
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Soto has already surpassed his career highs in home runs (42) and stolen bases (35), already becoming the Mets’ first player to go 40-30 and the 16th in MLB history.
So with six games left to play, can Soto swipe a few more bases to achieve rarified air?
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets playoff scenarios with Reds, Diamondbacks for NL Wild Card spot