The New York Mets spent more than any team in the history of baseball to build a contending roster for 2023. 

As it turned out, money isn’t everything. The Mets won 27 fewer games this year compared to 2022 and finished way behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. They were eliminated from the NL Wild Card chase with more than a week to go in the season. 

Mets owner Steve Cohen has made clear his desperation to bring a World Series title to Queens. But this year proved that simply throwing massive contracts in every direction can’t be everything. 

Bookies.com veteran oddsmaker Adam Thompson has created the MLB future odds as to when the Mets will return to the National League Playoffs. 

Mets Next Postseason Appearance Odds

These odds are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect odds that may be available on legal betting apps.

What Went Wrong For The Mets?

The Mets were +900 to win the 2023 World Series on Opening Day. The only teams with lower odds were the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the New York Yankees.

The team was a modest 15-12 entering May but had just one winning month the rest of the way. A 7-19 mark in June put the Mets into a huge hole. 

The season went so wrong, so early, that the team became huge sellers at the trade deadline, including moving high-priced pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to contenders. The team added solid minor league players, so perhaps the team is considering growing talent rather than out-spending rivals. 

At the time, oddsmakers loved what the Mets were doing. Verlander and Japanese import Kodai Senga were inked to huge off-season contracts. The team added batters and lower-cost pitchers as well. Led by reigning Manager of the Year Buck Showalter, New York was, on paper, a serious title contender. At worst, it should be a playoff team for the second year in a row. 

The star closer Edwin Diaz was lost for the season while celebrating at the World Baseball Classic. Things completely collapsed in June, as the Mets’ 7-19 mark and the Braves 21-4 run pushed New York into pretender status. 

RELATED:  MLB Playoffs Odds: When Will The Yankees Make The Postseason?

So, when can the Mets get back to the postseason? As it stands now, they have the most payroll on the books for 2024, and it’s flush with older veterans. Scherzer claimed Mets management told him the team is pointing to 2025 to compete “at the earliest,” signaling a re-focus of assets. That season, and the one after, should be when several of the team’s promising players will move up from the farm system to Citi Field. 

GM Billy Eppler conceded, “Going into 2024, we don’t see ourselves as having the same odds as going into 2023. But we will field a competitive team in 2024.”

With the Mets taking a step back to re-assess, and the Braves and Phillies hitting their prime, a 2024 playoff run seems less likely. 

The Mets should be competitive next season, but the new direction may take a couple of seasons to fruition. New York may be better in the long term for it.