From 0-5 to 'OMG,' a look back at the 2024 Mets

This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- It’s been a year, hasn’t it?

I’ve said some version of this often the past few weeks: imagine me telling you in early April that the 2024 Mets wouldn’t just make it to within two games of the World Series, but would do so behind an infielder moonlighting as a Latin pop star, a second-rate McDonald’s mascot and a lucky gourd picked from a Wisconsin pumpkin patch.

You’d have signed up for that, right?

It was indeed quite the summer in New York, and although the ultimate outcome wasn’t perfect, Mets fans won’t forget this one anytime soon.

Instead, this is the appropriate time of year to look back on it. Continuing what’s become an annual newsletter tradition, I’d like to take this space to reminisce on some of my favorite stories from 2024 -- along with a few you may have forgotten.

Biggest news

Our most-trafficked Mets story of 2024 was, of course, that one you may have read about recently: Juan Soto signing with the team. Four days later, the Mets introduced Soto at a press conference at Citi Field, where he discussed his hopes of building a dynasty.

Since the end of the season, the Mets have also acquired Jose Siri, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning in separate transactions.

Oh, and just this past week, news broke that the team intends to retire David Wright’s No. 5 next summer in a ceremony at Citi Field. Big news indeed.

On-field feats

Excepting Soto, most of the significant 2024 Mets news occurred on the field -- a welcome change from years past. Francisco Lindor’s go-ahead homer in Game 161 against the Braves resulted in our highest trafficked game story of the season. It was an all-time moment for the franchise, as was Pete Alonso’s three-run homer three days later against the Brewers in National League Wild Card Series Game 3. And let’s not forget Lindor’s grand slam to effectively clinch the NL Division Series over the Phillies.

Of course, the on-field news wasn’t all positive -- remember Jorge López’s glove-throwing incident, which resulted in an immediate DFA but also a crucial team meeting? Then there was that Rhys Hoskins game early in the season that resulted in Yohan Ramírez’s ejection, as well as Edwin Díaz’s sticky-stuff ban and Kodai Senga’s mostly lost season.

But overall, yeah, things went well. The London Series walk-off double play. Jake Diekman’s strikeout of Aaron Judge. Lindor’s home run to break up Bowden Francis’ no-hit bid. Sean Manaea’s heartfelt performance in NLDS Game 3. And many more.

Shoutout if you remember them all.

Little fun things

Plenty of other moments hit the right notes along the way -- and no, I’m not only referring to Jose Iglesias’ postgame concert at Citi Field. Back in Spring Training, we wrote about how hard Francisco Alvarez had worked to become fluent in English. That remains my favorite story from the calendar year.

Also that spring, Darryl Strawberry was kind enough to open up about his missionary work at prisons across the country. And Jose Quintana became an American citizen.

Later in the year, we talked to Lindor about his focus on fashion and grabbed him for a Q&A ahead of the London Series. But everyone knows Lindor. Do you remember Tyler Jay, the independent ball pitcher who overcame some pretty steep odds to make it to the big leagues?

If not, open that link in a new tab, or re-read the stories that made this summer special. The year is about to end, after all, with plenty more coming in 2025.