Prologue

On March 28, 2024, I sat down at this very same laptop and vented about my feelings regarding my favorite team in professional sports. For nearly 25 years, the Mets have been my most toxic relationship.

I am too busy, and a bit too lazy, to actually do the math, but I think I’ve approached the point in the pie chart of my life where time spent with the Mets out-percentage points anything else.

I lived at home until I was 23, but for three hours a day, 200 (give or take 20) days a year, I mostly begrudgingly exhausted my time with David Wright, Howie Rose, Ike Davis, John Rauch, Shawn Green, and Matt Harvey.

Now I live with my wife Rose, and while eventually, one day, when the grey hairs on my head are caused by age and not the stress of watching the Frank Francisco’s of the world attempt to find the strike zone, my time with her will surpass my time with the lovable losers in Queens.

But right now, for the immediate future, the Brian Hauch relational pie graph is about 62% orange and blue, and maybe a little purple (We’ll get to Grimace later).

If you’ve followed along in Section 400, you know the drill with my approach to the way I distribute content across our platforms. On our podcast I try to stay coherent, bringing up fun stats and backing up my Mets, Giants, and Auburn takes with well thought out research and mostly pre-written thoughts.

On the blogging side of things I tend to ramble, specifically when discussing this team. This team, that at this very same time last year I called boring, old, tired, lifeless, and boring a second time. I hated watching the 2023 New York Mets. The toxic connection had become a venomous symbiote in my brain.

Then 2024 happened.

Looking back on 2024

I’m not sure what more I can say about 2024 than I already have. Last season was easily the most joyful I’ve experienced as a Mets fan. 2006 was incredible, but I was young. 2015 was amazing, but deep down I knew it was more of an outlier than the norm.

Neither team was that much fun. Sure, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Carlos Delgado, and the rest of the 2006 Mets were cool, and mostly my idols, but the frequently worn black uniforms described those Mets perfectly.

Willy Randolph led a competitive, strong, ball club that earned admiration from fans by taking care of business on the field. The same can be said for Buck’s team in 2022.

2015 was nearly the exact opposite. Those Mets were bad, like really bad. Bad enough to where I still have trouble fully conceptualizing how that run happened.

Jacob DeGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz, and Noah Syndergaard somehow kept a lineup constantly trotting out Eric Cambpell and John Mayberry Jr. in contention. Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy put the offense on their figurative backs after David Wright’s literally broke.

They were fun, but they were fun because the Mets were still the lovable losers that reminded me of my old ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ toys. They thought they could, and they did. Until they didn’t.

So how was 2024 different? Well, the Mets won, and they won a lot. New York was the best team in baseball for over 100 games because of the talent on the field, but also because of the fun that ensued over a summer that can only be described as ridiculous.

A McDonald’s mascot got credit for an 8-game win streak. A backup infielder dropped a hit song that was then performed after a game at Citi Field. A bullpen pitcher threw his glove into the stands, called himself the worst teammate in baseball, got cut, and the Mets went on a run.

The Mets of the past get clowned into oblivion for things like that. They aren’t supposed to do the clowning to the other teams, but that’s exactly what happened.

Francisco Lindor became an MVP candidate. Mark Vientos, who I did not even mention in my 2024 preview, became a star. A pitching rotation that seemingly could have been assembled by the mechanics in the chop shops behind Citi Field churned out one of the best earned run averages in baseball after August.

This team, and these players, were good. They were also infectiously entertaining. This blog entry was hard to write a year ago. I’m having trouble containing myself enough to stay on topic this time around.

But let’s get to baseball.

The offseason. Hello Juan 🙂

Last year I wrote about how I was happy with the Mets making small splashes, but ultimately voiced my frustration when the team failed to sign Pete Alonso to a long-term extension. This time around….umm….

I never truly wrote a reaction to the Juan Soto contract. I did react to it on a podcast though. (You can watch the clip here) Let’s just say I was excited. I still am very excited, although I have finally stopped shaking, mostly.

Juan Soto signing a 15-year contract with the Mets not only provided a statement that this team has arrived, but gave New York something it simply hasn’t had since I’ve been alive. The Mets have am undisputed top 5 player in baseball. That is objectively true.

Gone are the days of me clamoring for David Wright, Jacob DeGrom, Francisco Lindor, or Carlos Beltran to garner MVP votes. Juan Soto is going to earn some, every single year, until my kids are in middle school.

But the Mets did more than add the 26-year-old. David Stearns and Steve Cohen also brought back Pete Alonso, Sean Manea, Jesse Winker, Ryne Stanek, and Drew Smith. New York added Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, Jose Siri, Griffin Canning, A.J Minter, and old friend Billy McKinney (which is cool I guess.

The rotation is slightly better than the dumpster fire it looked like last season, while the lineup, well, it’s pretty. Very, very, pretty.

This is the first time in a long time I will be predicting the Mets to win the World Series and actually believe it.

2025

No Mets season will ever emulate, or even come close, to touching the pure ridiculous joy the 2024 Mets summer brought me. The possible dominance 2025 could bring may invoke an entirely different set of strong emotions though.

I am ready to be cocky, I’m taking arrogantly cocky, as a Mets fan. I want to be the version of Yankees supporters that I have hated for most of my life. These guys have the potential to be “one finger salute” good.

If two of Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, and Griffin Canning can become trusted, high-leverage, starting arms, this team may win over 100 games. That’s a big if, but the floor has now become the ceiling.

The “ifs” aren’t reliant on New York making the playoffs. Hypotheticals have now become icing on the cake.

Juan Soto is going to finish in the top 3 in MVP voting. Francisco Lindor won’t be too far behind. Pete Alonso will become the Mets all-time home run king, while Mark Vientos has the opportunity to overtake his first baseman as the best slugger on the team.

Brandon Nimmo, who has consistently been the second best position player on the team during his tenure, is set to hit fifth. The bullpen has multiple weapons with sub-3.50 career eras set to take on roles in the middle innings.

The Mets have the fifth highest odds to win the World Series. The New York Mets, who I have consistently just hoped would play competitive baseball in August, have world series or bust aspirations.

I could not be more happy about it.

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