Reds in, Mets Out, Cincinnati Passes New York in Wild Card Race
With just one week left in the MLB regular season, the National League Wild Card race has reached a fever pitch. A stunning collapse by the New York Mets, combined with a late-season surge from the Cincinnati Reds, has resulted in a dead heat for the final Wild Card berth. Both teams now stand at 80-76, setting the stage for a dramatic finish to the 2025 season. For the Mets, this turn of events is nothing short of a nightmare.
Once 21 games above the .500 mark and with a 96.2% chance of making the playoffs, New York has since imploded, going 35-52 in a stretch that has seen them lose 11 of their last 15 games. A once-secure playoff position is now gone, and their destiny is no longer in their own hands. The Mets' lineup, despite strong performances from stars like Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, has struggled for consistency. Plus, their pitching has faltered at the worst possible time.
Meanwhile, the young, hungry Cincinnati Reds have played the role of opportunistic spoiler. Following a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, the Reds vaulted into a tie with the Mets for the sixth and final Wild Card spot. This recent stretch has been powered by resilient pitching and timely hitting. Including a masterful complete-game shutout from Hunter Greene. As well as Spencer Steer’s hot stretch of 10 RBIs in his last four games.
The stakes for the final week couldn't be higher, and the tiebreaker rules make the situation even more critical for New York. Since Cincinnati won the season series against the Mets, it holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. This means that if both teams finish with the same record, it will be the Reds, not the Mets, who advance to the postseason. New York must now finish with a better record than Cincinnati to clinch the playoff spot, while the Reds simply need to match the Mets' final win total.
As the season winds down, every pitch and every out will be magnified. The Reds head into a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Mets face the Chicago Cubs, who have already clinched a playoff berth. The baseball world will be watching closely as these two teams battle it out, with the season on the line and no room for error. The final week of the season is set to deliver an unforgettable climax to an already wild Wild Card race.
