Same Ol’ Mets.
Which means, for the 35th straight year, barring a miracle, those who bet on the Mets to win the World Series will be out of luck and out of money.
Despite taking two of three from the floundering Nationals over the weekend, the Mets have just a 2.5% chance of making the playoffs and a 0.2% chance of winning the World Series, according to FanGraphs.
New York’s season has quickly turned from promising to disappointing after an 8-21 stretch (including 2-11 versus the Dodgers and Giants). Once in first place in the NL East with a 55-46 record, the Mets are now 63-67 and 7.5 games back of division-leading Atlanta.
The players have managed to blame literally everyone but themselves. It’s a familiar combination of collapse and dysfunction, just with new ownership.
Mets annually crush sports bettors’ hopes and dreams
Back in February, there was plenty of reason for optimism. Hedgefund billionaire Steve Cohen bought the team from the Wilpons. Francisco Lindor arrived via trade and signed a $341 million extension.
Cohen even said that he’d be disappointed if the team didn’t win a World Series in the next three-five years. Bettors clearly ate it up.
According to BetMGM (online in NJ), as of mid-February, 24.6% of all tickets and 31.2% of the handle were on the Mets to win the World Series at its sportsbooks nationwide. With all that action, the team went from +2,500 to +1,200 and sat at +1,000 on Opening Day.
But now, the Mets are +10,000, with 6.1% of tickets and 6.9% of the handle, per BetMGM. The team hasn’t won the World Series since 1986.
Mets are the laughingstock of MLB yet again
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Mets find new ways to embarrass themselves.
Newcomer Javier Baez, Kevin Pillar, and Lindor were all seen doing “thumbs-down” celebrations when they reached base.
Here’s Baez’s stunning explanation:
“It’s to let fans know when we don’t have success we are going to get booed, so they are going to get booed when we have success.”
Yes, those same loyal and passionate fans who continue to support the team and pay outrageous prices at the ballpark despite all the drama, controversies, and losing seasons.
President Sandy Anderson issued a statement calling the gesture “unacceptable.” Cohen told the New York Post: “These are young guys and sometimes we forget they are on a public stage and can make mistakes. They hit the third rail, though, messing with the fans.”
The team’s future is unclear.
Ace Jacob deGrom, who was having a season for the ages, is recovering from injury and may not pitch again in 2021. Lindor has been a disappointment at the plate in his first season with the team. Manager Luis Rojas and Alderson are both under fire. Cohen has called out the team’s overall hitting on Twitter. Jeff McNeil, (potential free agent to be) Michael Conforto, and Dom Smith, in particular, have all not hit to the back of their baseball cards, respectively.
Marcus Stroman, who has pitched well, has inexplicably blamed the media for the team’s lackluster performance.
