Coming into the 2015 season, many expected the New York Mets to be average at best.  They were in the same division as the team that many picked to go all the way, the Washington Nationals.  The only positive for the Mets coming into this season was all of their young pitching.   Nobody expected them to go as far as they did.  They made their first World Series appearance since 2000, and had it not been for their sloppy play, they could have possibly won their first World Series since 1986.

The Mets started off the season very hot, after losing the opening two series to the Nationals and the Braves, and losing David Wright to injury, they rattled off eleven straight wins.  On the last day of April, the Mets had a 4.5 game lead in their division.  Over the next two months, they would lose their grasp on the divisional lead, and at the end of June, they trailed the Nationals by 3.5 games.

But on July 31, the final day before the trade deadline, the Mets announced that they made a trade with the Detroit Tigers in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.  This would end up being one of the greatest trades in Mets history, as he changed the entire dynamic of the team.  In 57 games with the team, he propelled them into first place and helped them clinch their first playoff birth since 2006 by hitting .287 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs.

The Mets opening playoff series was against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that they were familiar with, playing them seven times in the regular season.  They won game one in Los Angeles thanks to a strong start from ace Jacob deGrom.  Game two was filled with controversy as the Mets were leading until the seventh.  Starter Noah Syndergaard gave up two straight hits and was relieved in favor of Bartolo Colon.  A groundball was hit to second baseman Daniel Murphy.  As he threw to the shortstop Ruben Tejada, he was taken out by a controversial Chase Utley “slide.”  Tejada would have to leave the game as the Dodgers would go on to win.  It was later announced that Tejada had fractured his fibula and he would miss the rest of the playoffs.  Game three moved to New York and the Mets won by a final score of 13-7 thanks to Yoenis Cespedes’s 3-run home run, and Curtis Granderson’s 5-RBIs.  Game four was a Dodgers win thanks to Clayton Kershaw’s amazing performance.  The Mets and the Dodgers went back to Los Angeles for game 5.  The Mets took a first-inning lead thanks to Daniel Murphy’s run scoring double.  In the bottom of the inning, the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead. In the sixth inning, the game was tied and Daniel Murphy was up at the plate.  He lined a homer over the fence to give the Mets the lead, eventually the game, and the series,

The Mets were on to the NLCS to face the Cubs. The Cubs were no match for the Mighty Mets during this four-game sweep.  The Mets won a close game one by a final score of 4-2 thanks to a strong start from Matt Harvey.  Game two was won 4-1.  In game three, Daniel Murphy hit another home run and the Mets won 5-2.  In game four the Mets completed the sweep, winning 8-3.  Lucas Duda drove in 5 runs, and Daniel Murphy hit another home run.  The Mets were on their way to the World Series.

Games 1 and 2 were a struggle for the Mets.  They were leading most of the way in the first game, until the 9^th inning, when closer Jeurys Familia gave up a game-tying home run to Royals left fielder Alex Gordon. The game would eventually go 14 innings, and the Mets would lose on a walkoff sacrifice fly from first baseman Eric Hosmer.  In game 2 the Mets had a lead going into the bottom of the 5^th.  The inning started with an error by first basemen Lucas Duda, and everything went downhill.  A long string of singles lead to a 4-run inning.  The Royals didn’t look back, as they piled on three more insurance runs in the later innings, as they won 7-1.  Game 3 was the Mets’ only win of the series.  Home runs by David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and a strong pitching performance from Noah Syndergaard lead to a 9-3 victory. In game 4 we saw the Mets blow another late lead.  A Daniel Murphy error lead to a three-run inning for the Royals, as they beat the Mets 5-3. In game 5 Matt Harvey was great.  He pitched eight shutout innings and the Mets had a 2-0 lead in the ninth.  Mets manager Terry Collins decided to allow Harvey to stay in the game.  He walked the leadoff hitter, Lorenzo Cain, and then gave up a run scoring double to Eric Hosmer.  That was all for him.  Closer Jeurys Familia came into the game and got a groundout from the first batter.  The next batter was Salvador Perez, and he hit a groundball to David Wright.  Wright threw on to first, but Hosmer broke for home.  First basemen Lucas Duda’s throw was offline and the game was tied.  The game was quiet until the top of the twelfth inning.  In that inning, the Royals scored 5 runs and ended up beating the Mets 7-2 to win their second World Series.  Catcher Salvador Perez won the MVP

It was a great season for the Mets who exceeded many people’s expectation, but they came up just short.  Ironically, they open up next season in Kansas City against the Royals, where they hope to start their redemption.