The New York Mets officially locked up last place in the National League East on Friday, closing out a nightmare 2026 season with a 7-6 loss to the Washington Nationals. A 73-87 record, with just two games left, isn’t what anyone expected. We’re talking about the second-highest player payroll in Major League Baseball, clocking in at a staggering $357 million.
The Price of Failure: $5 Million a Win and a Historical Low
Let that sink in: $357 million for a last-place finish. Assuming they limp to 73 wins, that’s nearly $5 million per victory. Now, compare that to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are rocking an MLB-high $408 million payroll but are sitting pretty with 97 wins heading into Friday night, costing them around $4.2 million per win. It’s a harsh contrast, showing just how far off the mark the Mets were.
This isn’t just a bad season; it’s historically bad for the Mets. They haven’t finished last in the NL East since 2003. Think about it: 23 years, three NL Championship Series appearances, and a World Series berth in between. Just five seasons ago, this team won 101 games. This year, the wheels fell off from day one. They started April with a miserable 7-19 record, and by May 1, they were already 11.5 games out of first. A month later, it was 14 games back, and they never got closer than 13 games to the top. By the end of June, the Mets were 34-47, and manager Carlos Mendoza was already fired. Rough.
Expensive Additions, Zero Payoff, and the Ghost of Alonso
With owner Steve Cohen throwing massive money around and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns once considered one of the brightest executives in MLB, everyone assumed first place was attainable. They bolstered the bullpen with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. The lineup got a serious shot in the arm with Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, and Luis Robert Jr. Freddy Peralta was supposed to be a top-three starter for the rotation. What happened?
Only Luke Weaver, a middle reliever who posted a solid 1.84 ERA before getting dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline, actually paid off. Bichette’s slash line is a disappointing .259/.310/.386. Semien is batting a dismal .216 with a .624 OPS. Polanco could barely stay on the field, playing only 37 games due to Achilles, ankle, and wrist injuries. Williams carried a 4.54 ERA, and Peralta’s ERA was a hefty 4.99 before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. Not the return on investment anyone hoped for.
And then there’s Pete Alonso. The former first baseman, a fan favorite and face of the franchise, became a brutal symbol of the Mets’ missteps. He signed a five-year, $130 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles and went on to lead the American League in RBI. Later in the season, Alonso returned to Citi Field with the Orioles, getting a huge standing ovation from the crowd. He even hit his 300th career home run in his old stomping grounds, drawing such a positive reaction that current Mets players like Sean Manaea expressed it. That’s gotta sting.
With just two games remaining in this disastrous season, the Mets are simply playing out the string. The sting of this $357 million debacle, however, is gonna last a whole lot longer than two games. What a mess.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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