So… I kind of hoped we’d have gotten these last day gaffes permanently out of the system after the last-day reversal in 2024. What do I know? It would be fitting if MLB allowed two teams with the same record to have a one-game playoff to determine the final playoff spot instead of using tiebreaker rules. But Rob Manfred knows better. The Mets know how the Diamondbacks felt getting left all alone with the same record as two teams that made it. Tiebreak this.
All that said, I will try to give honest grades based on both halves of the season. The first half was quite something. I put those grades out in July. Today I am doing the second half along with final grades. The final grade is the average of both marks (unless the player appeared in only one half). So even a lot of wholesale F’s won’t get us a lot of flunkings. The whole flunking year reminds me of a love child of 2007 and 2008, grandfathered in by 1998. It’s days like this where I feel like I may never see the Mets lift another championship trophy. Maybe the player who makes that happen is not yet even born. It’s a black thought, but this is a black day. Long life to you.
I’ll be OK. You will be, too. That’s why we try to have things in our life other than baseball. This is also why we can’t have nice things.
Here’s the rules: For the first grade period, batters had to have 50 at bats and pitchers 15 innings pitched to get a grade; so we’ll make it 80 at bats and 25 innings for the full year. My convoluted rules prevent handing out grades to outfielders/pinch runners Jose Siri and Travis Jankowski. Makes you wish Jose Azocar, who hit .278 in 18 at bats, had gotten a little more playing time.
Between injuries and ineffectiveness, the pitching was a disaster. For the first time I won’t list the pitchers who did not make the cut because 29 did reach 25 innings (including several mop-up position players). Typing their names in would be a punish assignment and this season proved to be one already. So if you wonder why this guy or that guy didn’t get an F, the answer is he wasn’t even good enough to fail.
Second-Half 2024 Report Card
1H 2H Final
Juan Soto A- A: A For the haters… Soto led the NL in walks, Offensive WAR, and even steals, while having a record season… and salary
Francisco Lindor A- A-: A- A real team player, he’ll take this season pretty hard. Mets should make him captain. Or something.
Edwin Diaz A- A-: A- Don’t blame the closer for this el foldo. He was better in second half, but with many fewer chances. He will opt out of contract.
Pete Alonso A B: A- Slight drop off in the second half, but 126 RBI is quite a year. The Mets need him and he needs them.
Brandon Nimmo B- B: B Nimmo isn’t in the same class as the ones above, but he is on base when the big guys come up and drives in a few himself.
Clay Holmes B+ C+: B Pitched 102.2 more innings than in ’24, when he was a reliever. His arm went dead at one point, yet his best start was his last.
Brandon Waddell C+ B-: B- Long man would have been a savior as starters went kaput. He too went down with a hip issue.
Brett Baty C- B: C+ Baty and Vientos are streaky. Brett is a better fielder and overtook Mark with bat this year. It’s time to decide which one to keep.
Tyrone Taylor C- B-: C+ With CF a wasteland, his stellar defense was crucial. And he hit 52 points higher in 2H.
Starling Marte C+ C+: C+ Actually a little better in 2H. His contract is up and I think another team should take on his veteran leadership.
Francisco Alvarez C- B-: C Started only 68 games all year. Handled staff well and handled himself well after demotion and injuries.
Luis Torrens D B: C Actually had more plate appearances than Alvarez. Much better offense in 2H. One of baseball’s top backup backstops.
Jeff McNeil B- C-: C Played 6 different positions. At times was the only CF who could hit; ’26 will be last guaranteed year of contract.
Ronny Mauricio C C- C Kid has power and his defense isn’t bad. Rotted on bench in 2H. Switch hitter may push Vientos out of nest.
Huascar Brozoban C C: C He’s been either good or bad. He has shown a lot as a long man. Just when you count on him, though… “That ball is outta here!”
Kodai Senga A- D-: C Terrible and then injured down stretch yet still had best WAR of any Mets starter in ’25. Says it all right there.
David Peterson B+ F: C Where was the guy who saved the season with a gem on the final Sunday of ’24? Was a 2025 All-Star, then invisible.
Reed Garrett C+ C-: C Mendoza leans on him hard until his arm gives out. Happened again this year and it really cost the team.
Luisangel Acuna C- D+: C- Served as defensive replacement/pinch runner in 2H. If Little Acuna makes it, it may be somewhere besides NY.
Mark Vientos D+ D+: D+ The definition of a sophomore slump. Earned B+ last year. After a slight revival in 2H, he did nothing the last few weeks.
Ryne Stanek C- D-: D+ Occasionally comes in throwing smoke and getting outs. More often he enters issuing walks and surrendering hits.
Hayden Senger D D: D Rookie showed a good arm and got the rare hit. With all the catching injuries he snuck on the report card.
Only Appeared in One Half as Met
Nolan McLean A Only one of the three callup savior starters to qualify for a grade. He was a find. Fourth on staff in WAR in just 8 starts.
Griffin Canning B+ An unknown pitcher David Stearns dug up. Excellent! Then he got hurt. Crap! What they would have given for him in September.
Max Kranick B: Made the mistake of firing strikes and showing an ability to relieve a lot. Of course his arm was worn out before July.
Brooks Raley B Took the final loss of the season, but it wasn’t his fault. Three-year contract ends with a lot of what ifs about his health.
Jose Butto B I understand why Mets traded this multiple-innings eater. Tyler Rogers is more durable for Mendy’s daily abuse.
Tylor Megill C The Bobby Jones of the 2020s. He usually takes the ball and does OK. Great down the stretch in ’24; hurt at the end of ’25.
Tyler Rogers C- Five outings in the final week: Pitched in 3 wins, 1 blown save, 1 loss, tattooed in game 162. Giants win trade.
Jesse Winker D+ Amazed he had more than 80 plate appearances to make the list. Didn’t do much, though.
Sean Manaea D From last offseason I wished they’d brought back Jose Quintana and let Manaea walk, as they did Severino.
Cedric Mullins F Failed acquisition from O’s. Hit .182, not good defensively, and felt like his purpose was to show how much better Taylor was in CF.
Jared Young F He made a token appearance or two in 2H, including a homer, but his F from the first half holds up.
Manager/President
Carlos Mendoza B F: C Gave him an A+ for the second half in ’24. This year he failed to deal with issues or help eke out wins down the stretch. You don’t win 83 games, lose out to the Reds, and pass. He’s back in ’26, but he’ll be gone after first long losing streak.
David Stearns B- F: C- .Finding reliable starting pitchers today isn’t easy. Their arms can and will give out at any time. He was creative with finding solutions, but it’s on him that Mets had no reliable starters at the end. While Stearns has a longer leash than Mendoza, this can’t happen again. Ever!
Coaches
People always want to fire coaches. Coaches don’t have that big an outcome on wins and losses. There is an exception: The third base coach’s asinine decision against Cleveland to hold a runner who would have easily scored a walkoff run. The Mets lost the next inning. It’s one of those things that aggravated me at the time and will continue to do so for months to come. I purposely forgot his name and will not look it up to prevent my last thoughts on winter nights being about him and the one game that could have changed it all. Sweet dreams.