The Mets hold a 1.5-game edge for the NL wild-card with 12 games remaining, riding a surge after Alonso’s walk-off snapped an eight-game skid. They face Padres, Nationals, Cubs and Marlins as FanGraphs pegs their postseason probability around 80%, with tiebreakers favorable vs. Giants and a tight race behind them. A 2007 reminder lingers as they chase a strong finish.

New York leans on a piggyback plan with Manaea behind Holmes, plus King and Pivetta in key series. Lindor and Alonso lead the offense as the team navigates a challenging late stretch, aiming to stack wins at Citi Field, on the road, and against division rivals to clinch a playoff berth.

Two weeks remain in the regular season and Bryce Eldridge is headed to the majors with the San Francisco Giants. The 20-year-old slugger, a 2023 first‑round pick, posted 25 homers in 100 games between Double‑A and Triple‑A and closed September with a .283 average and just 14 strikeouts in 12 games, showing growing power and improved contact. With Rafael Devers at 1B or DH and Dom Smith sidelined by a hamstring, San Francisco could plug Eldridge into a late‑season role to spark a playoff push.

Giants brass have long downplayed a debut in 2025, but the surge in the standings and a Mets collapse have created a window for a bold move. If Eldridge lands in the lineup, likely at DH or 1B, he could provide a short‑term fantasy jolt in a critical two‑week sprint.

The Mets snapped an eight-game skid with Pete Alonso’s dramatic 10th-inning, three-run walk-off, signaling a potential season-saving push despite crashing momentum since mid-June. The piece breaks down how pitching depth, bullpen turmoil, and inconsistent offense have strained the club’s championship ambitions, even with a $340 million payroll and a roster loaded with stars. A pivotal late-season stretch now becomes the test of whether the staff — including three rookie starters — can carry the lineup into October, or whether the Mets’ window closes again.

From the rotation’s fatigue to the bullpen’s meltdown (and a still-fragile offense that hasn’t clicked in unison with Lindor and Soto), the Mets face a high-leverage run to the postseason. The narrative centers on resilience, the need for reliable relief, and the question of whether Alonso’s late-game heroics can become a catalyst for steady, playoff-caliber performance over 12 remaining games.