The New York Mets have made the postseason in two of the last four years. Will they return in 2025?
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Mets. They signed superstar outfielder Juan Soto to a record contract in the offseason and held first place in the NL East for an extended period. But the second half has not been nearly as kind to New York, which is now fighting to hold onto a wild-card spot as the postseason nears.
Even with their recent struggles, the Mets should have an edge in the NL wild-card race as the season winds down. Still, they’ll have to fend off the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants if they want to be playing past Game 162 this year.
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Here's an updated breakdown of the Mets' playoff picture, from the NL wild-card standings to their magic number and upcoming schedule.
MORE: Tracking the full MLB playoff picture, magic numbers as regular season winds down
Mets updated MLB playoff picture, standings
The Mets have already been eliminated from the NL East race, as the Philadelphia Phillies clinched that division earlier in September. The final few weeks of the regular season are about New York holding onto a wild card position.
As of Sept. 18, the Mets hold a two-game lead over the rest of the pack for the final NL playoff spot. They trail the Padres and Cubs in the wild-card standings, but remain in a solid spot to hold onto the WC3 position.
Here are the latest NL wild-card standings:
Standings updated after Sept. 19 games.
NL wild-card standings
- WC1: Cubs, 88-66 (.571), +8.0
- WC2: Padres, 83-71 (.539), +3.0
- WC3: Mets, 80-74 (.519)
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- Reds, 78-76 (.506), 2.0 GB
- Diamondbacks, 77-77 (.503), 3.0 GB
- Giants, 76-78 (.497), 4.0 GB
- Cardinals, 75-79 (.487), 5.0 GB
- Marlins, 74-80 (.481), 6.0 GB
- Braves, 71-83 (.461), ELIMINATED
- Pirates, 65-89 (.422), ELIMINATED
- Nationals, 62-92 (.403), ELIMINATED
- Rockies, 42-112 (.273), ELIMINATED
MORE: Tracking the MLB home run race between Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber
Mets remaining schedule
Here's a look at the Mets' schedule to close the 2025 season.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Sept. 20 | vs. Nationals | 4:10 p.m. |
| Sept. 21 | vs. Nationals | 1:40 p.m. |
| Sept. 23 | at Cubs | 7:40 p.m. |
| Sept. 24 | at Cubs | 8 p.m. |
| Sept. 25 | at Cubs | 7:40 p.m. |
| Sept. 26 | at Marlins | 7:10 p.m. |
| Sept. 27 | at Marlins | 4:10 p.m. |
| Sept. 28 | at Marlins | 3:10 p.m. |
Mets MLB magic number
A magic number is the number of wins (by the leading team) and/or losses (by the trailing team) needed for a team to clinch a particular race. While the Mets have already been eliminated from the NL East race, their magic number to secure a playoff berth (and therefore a wild-card spot) as of Sept. 19 is six.
MLB playoff tiebreakers
The expanded postseason format introduced by MLB in 2022 eliminated tiebreaker games, previously known as "Game 163." Instead, ties are now resolved using a series of criteria.
The first tiebreaker is the teams’ head-to-head record. If that record is even, the next tiebreaker is each team’s record within its division, even if the teams are in different divisions. If a tie still remains, the teams’ record within their league (American or National) becomes the deciding factor.
So, here's the process for a two-team tie:
- Head-to-head record
- Record within division
- Record within league
The process is a bit more complicated for three-team ties. If one team has a winning record against each of the other teams, that team wins the tiebreaker. If two teams have an identical record against each other but both have a better record against the third team, the third team is out and the head-to-head process would be used to split the remaining two teams.