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As MLB opens another postseason Tuesday with the first wild-card games, the biggest shock after the 162-game marathon is the New York Mets missing out on a World Series bid.
The Mets, who own the league’s highest payroll and reached the NLCS last season, fell to the Miami Marlins in Game 162. The Cincinnati Reds also lost their finale to the Milwaukee Brewers, who had already clinched a playoff spot, but the Mets’ 4-0 defeat sealed their fate.
Mets fans were livid, and New York sports radio legend Mike Francesa blasted the organization.
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Inductee Mike Francesa speaks on stage during Radio Hall Of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony at Guastavino’s on November 15, 2018, in New York City. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Radio Hall of Fame)
“This is such a colossal failure,” Francesa said on his podcast. “This is one of the great colossal gutless collapses that we have seen from a team with talent in a very long time.”
The Mets’ 2025 payroll, boosted by a record-setting free-agent deal with Juan Soto, hit $340 million. They justified it early, owning MLB’s best record in mid-June.
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But the collapse Francesa described never stopped. The Mets became streaky, swinging from highs to lows without consistency.
“There are bad teams. That’s not them – they aren’t a bad team,” Francesa said. “They are a gutless bunch of underachievers. That’s what they are to the core, and they should be ashamed.
“I never thought they would be gutless. I never thought they would not figure it out to this extent. I never thought their pitching would dissolve as badly as it did. They were also a top-heavy lineup all year. They became a bad defensive team. They became a bad situational team. And they became a bunch of gutless bums.”
New York Mets’ Juan Soto (22) walks in the dugout after the Mets lost to the Miami Marlins in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Strong words from the “Sports Pope,” but many fans shared the sentiment Monday as the Mets turned their focus to 2026.
General Manager David Stearns confirmed manager Carlos Mendoza will return next season. Star slugger Pete Alonso, however, announced after the loss to Miami that he will opt out and test free agency again.
Since June 12, the Mets went 38-55 – an unfathomable skid considering their early dominance. On Sept. 1, they still led the Reds by six games for the final wild-card spot.
Sports radio talk show host Mike Francesa at Carnesecca Arena on Feb. 18, 2023. (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports)
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“This was a slow drip that started in late June and never ever got solved,” Francesa said.
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