The New York Mets have had quite the ride in 2024. They have been nothing short of Amazing lately. They’re on a nine game winning streak and a strong enough push to leap the Atlanta Braves into the final wildcard spot in the National League. So what exactly got the Mets on this roll?
Let’s go back to June 2nd. The Mets were 11 games under 500. Then Grimace happened. That’s right, the lovable purple McDonalds mascot. Is he the reason the Mets are now playoff bound? On June 12, Grimace threw out the first pitch against the Marlins. Citi Field and the McMets have been winning ever since.
The Mets have had the best winning percentage (.704), the most runs per game (6.1), the most home runs (45), the highest slugging percentage (.491), and the best on base percentage (.340).
Grimace returned to the spotlight and became a key marketing figure for McDonald’s last year when he became the subject of the “Grimace shake trend” on TikTok.
It’s not just the offense that has been recharged in the Grimace Era. The pitching staff has turned things around as well. Another strong performance from Sean Manaea on Wednesday kept the Mets in a game where their bats were silenced through eight innings by the Jays. Francisco Lindor broke up a no hitter in the ninth with one swing. New York tacked on five more in the 9th to take the game 6 – 2. Manaea’s solid work again gave the Mets that chance.
Lindor acting more like the All-Star he is than the 2023 version, and the resurgence of pitcher Luis Severino are probably truer reasons the Mets are in this position. The question is, can they sustain it through the playoffs?
If not, maybe they need to call on the Hamburglar or Office Big Mac for the playoff push.
The Mets have a good mix of young players in Bader, Vientos, Nimmo, and Alonzo, along with vets like Lindor, Martinez, and Marte who could get a boost from the now excited Citi Field crowd. Grabbing the back page from their cross town rival always excites the Mets. With every arm turning things around in the pen, the starting rotation being solid, the Mets could be the Happy Meal toy that we need in the MLB playoffs.
Whoever said McDonald’s isn’t good for you, doesn’t know these New York McMets.
