Mets' unexpected success in 19-game run boosts wildcard hopes

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Why do we watch sports? Distraction, great athletes, team allegiances.  Repeat after me: sports are fun. It is great to watch elite-level athletes playing a game at a level that you and I could only dream of. It brings people together, as well as families and friends. The Mets right now [...]

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Why do we watch sports?  

Distraction, great athletes, team allegiances. 

Repeat after me: sports are fun.

It is great to watch elite-level athletes playing a game at a level that you and I could only dream of. 

It brings people together, as well as families and friends. The Mets right now are fun.

They looked dead in the water when they were 11 games under the 500 mark. They have turned a corner and are at the 500 mark as they welcome the Astros into town for a weekend series.  

They are 15-4 in their last 19 games. Whether you credit the players' only meeting after the Jorge Lopez fiasco, the return and leadership of young catcher Francisco Alvarez, or Grimace throwing out the first pitch does not matter; it is good to be a Mets fan. 

In June, the Mets hit .290 as a team and had a team era of 3.90. Even the recent suspension of closer Edwin Diaz has not stopped the momentum.  

They have not even gotten great years from either Jeff McNeil or Pete Alonso, and here we are. 

The Mets are legit wildcard contenders in the National League. Right fielder Starling Marte is out for the next month with a bone bruise in his knee, which will be a loss, but come the MLB trade deadline, the Mets will be looking to add and not subtract.  

Ace Kodai Senga could begin a rehab assignment next week, and Mets fans are celebrating because this was unexpected. Maybe not from the start of spring training, but definitely after the dismal start, and that is what makes this run so much more enjoyable and fun.  

This Mets team was left for dead, but they have life and are playing a great, winning brand of baseball. So enjoy it. Dress up as Grimace in purple and smile because the Mets have given you a lot of reasons to believe. 

Until next time, New York, I'm Marc Malusis.