Juan Soto discusses Mets’ failure despite lofty expectations for 2025
After the Mets were eliminated from playoff contention on the season’s final day, Juan Soto discussed what went wrong on Sept. 28, 2025, in Miami.
MIAMI — Pete Alonso went from a full sprint to a dead stop down the first-base line. He pivoted and stared blankly into left field as he tried to process the unimaginable.
With the bases loaded, Alonso ripped the Mets’ hardest hit ball of the season to left field, but Javier Sanoja floated a few steps to his left and extended his glove to make the catch.
The heroics were nowhere to be found for the Mets as they saw their playoff hopes come crashing down with a 4-0 loss against the Marlins on Sunday afternoon at loanDepot Park.
The defeat was the final nail in the Mets’ coffin of their monthslong collapse. In the first week of September, they held a five-game lead over the Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot, but over their final seven series, they went 8-14, including a seven-game losing streak.
Adding insult to injury, the Reds lost their final game of the season to the Brewers, so all the Mets needed was a victory on Sunday. They came up completely empty.
The Mets, who were once as many as 21 games over .500 in June, saw the curtains fall on their season before they could reach October for the second straight season.
They dropped the tiebreaker for that final spot with a series loss to the Reds early in September.
The loss incapsulated the Mets’ second half of their season. The offense could not find its footing against the Marlins’ Edward Cabrera and three Marlins relievers. They left 10 runners on base and were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
The Mets’ starting pitcher, Sean Manaea, did not get deep into the game – this time by design – and the bullpen caved in a miserable fourth inning as the combination of Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek and Tyler Rogers gave up up four runs on four hits.
It began with a one-out single by Connor Norby off Brooks Raley, who was pulled after facing three batters between the third and fourth.
Eric Wagaman put the Marlins ahead with an RBI double off Ryne Stanek into the left-center field gap. Brian Navarreto piled on with a two-out, RBI double off the top of the center field wall. When Rogers was inserted for the next batter, the lefty gave up an RBI triple to Javier Sanoja and an RBI single to Xavier Edwards to make it 4-0.
By the end, the frustration boiled over for the Mets with Francisco Alvarez breaking his bat over his knee after striking out on a cutter with two runners on base in the top of the eighth inning.
Through three innings, Cabrera held the Mets to an infield single by Tyrone Taylor and a pair of walks. Twice, the Mets had runners move into scoring position with stolen bases but could not cash in. Francisco Alvarez grounded out to end the second inning and Juan Soto hit into a double play to finish the top of the third.
Cabrera finished with five scoreless innings, working around two hits and five walks. The right-hander’s day ended when Alonso lined out to left field with the bases loaded.