One glaring thing stands out when reviewing what’s happened with the Mets over the past two seasons. We’ve watched them occupy first place for the majority of 2021 and 2022. Just not at the right time.
In 2021, New York spent a total of 114 days in first place. The final day they were atop the National League East was on August 13th, and they never returned. Obviously, it was a little more painful in 2022. Manager Buck Showalter’s squad spent virtually all season in first place (176 days). They even finished in a tie with the Atlanta Braves, but not having a tiebreaker cost them the division.