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After completing a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League championship series, the New York Mets are headed to the World Series for the first since 2000 and will look to secure their first world championship since 1986.
For the Mets, it was anything but a smooth road to success. Despite employing the best young starting rotation in baseball, they struggled to a 41-41 record at the midway point of the season. It wasn't until general manager Sandy Alderson made big trade deadline additions to his lineup — including that of Yoenis Cespedes — that the Mets took off.*And once they did take off, there was no stopping them.
Here, we'll take a look at the ten biggest reasons the Mets are headed to the World Series. Indeed, the addition of Cespedes is among them. That deal truly sparked their mid-season turnaround. But we'll also look at other big moments and other key players that stepped to the forefront.*
It truly has been a special season so far, and the Mets will hope even bigger moments lie ahead.*
1. Trading for Yoenis Cespedes
The Mets offense was in desperate need of a boost at the trade deadline, which is why Sandy Alderson acquired Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson before setting his sights on Carlos Gomez. Once that deal fell apart, Alderson turned his attention to Detroit Tigers outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and the rest was history. Cespedes gave New York everything it needed and more, hitting .287.337/.604 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs over 57 games.
For a little perspective on Cespedes' impact, the Mets were the worst offensive team in the NL from April through July, hitting .234 as a team and scoring 3.5 runs per games. After landing Cespedes, New York was first in runs scored, scoring 6.2 per game over the final two months. As a team they hit .275.*
2. The Wilmer Flores game
Flores was in the middle of the Carlos Gomez drama as well. We'll never forget the shortstop playing through tears, thinking he was headed to the Milwaukee Brewers once the deal became official. It never did, and Flores turned his frown upside down 48 hours later by launching a walk-off home run against the Nationals. That home run started the sweep that completely turned the NL East around.
3. Jacob deGrom continues his dominance
After earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2014, deGrom came right back with an equally impressive sophomore season, posting a 2.54 ERA over 191 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander earned his first All-Star selection, and then announced his arrival on the big stage by striking out the side in his lone inning. He's looked no less impressive in the postseason, earning three straight road wins. That includes wins over the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. He should start Game 1 of the World Series.
4. Daniel Murphy's historic postseason
The Mets second baseman has morphed from a solid contributor to the biggest difference maker in the postseason in a span of nine games. Murphy has hit safely in all nine postseason games and has a franchise record seven home runs. Not a record for one postseason mind you, but all-time for any Met. He's also homered in six straight postseason games, which set another record. When he isn't homering, he's playing strong defense and making something happen on the bases. He's the hottest player on the planet right now, and the Mets are riding the wave.
[Related: Daniel Murphy homers in sixth straight playoff game, easily wins NLCS MVP]
5. Matt Harvey's health
In his first season off Tommy John surgery, Harvey resumed being a stud in New York's rotation. In 29 starts, Harvey posted a 2.71 ERA over 189 innings. It's as impressive a bounce back as one could expect from that operation, and despite concerns about his workload he's held up just fine. In fact, he just posted one of his best outings in NLCS Game 1, holding the Cubs to two runs over 7 2/3 innings.
6. They beat the best
The Nationals were considered a clear favorite not just to win the NL East, but the entire NL. The Mets went through them and then left them in their dust. Once in the postseason, the Mets disposed of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, defeating both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke along the way. Now they've swept the Chicago Cubs in almost stunning fashion during the NLCS, including wins over Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta. There's nothing the Toronto Blue Jays or Kansas City Royals can throw at the Mets that will overwhelm them.
7. and 8. Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are good too
The Mets rotation isn't just young, it's also very deep with Syndergaard and Matz now completely in the fold. Syndergaard debuted on May 12 and went on to post a 3.24 ERA over 24 starts and 150 innings. He also posted an impressive 10.0 strikeout per nine innings. He picked up the win in NLCS Game 2, but his biggest contribution may have come in relief in NLDS Game 5 when he pitched a scoreless inning after throwing 100 warm-up pitches.
Matz, on the other hand, was limited by injuries, but looked good when healthy. He was 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA during the regular season. He really made noise in his MLB debut, holding the Cincinnati Reds to two runs over 7 2/3 innings on June 28. Matz also picked up three hits and drove in four runs on that historic afternoon.
9. Jeurys Familia takes over as closer
With Jenrry Mejia suspended (twice) and Bobby Parnell injured, the Mets turned to Familia as their closer. The 26-year-old right-hander answered the call by delivering a brilliant season of relief. Familia made 76 appearances for the second straight season and finished a league-high 65 games. He finished with 43 saves and a sparkling 1.65 ERA during the regular season, and has been even better in the postseason, having not allowed a run through 9 2/3 innings.
10. Bartolo Colon
He may not be young and he's certainly not elite at this stage in his career, but Colon has been an important part of this Mets run. As a starter during the regular season, he was excellent, finishing with 14 wins and a 4.16 ERA. In the postseason, he's helped build the bridge to Familia, allowing just two runs over four innings. Factor in the fun moments he's provided at the plate and Colon has brought both production and levity for the last six-plus months.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
For the Mets, it was anything but a smooth road to success. Despite employing the best young starting rotation in baseball, they struggled to a 41-41 record at the midway point of the season. It wasn't until general manager Sandy Alderson made big trade deadline additions to his lineup — including that of Yoenis Cespedes — that the Mets took off.*And once they did take off, there was no stopping them.
Here, we'll take a look at the ten biggest reasons the Mets are headed to the World Series. Indeed, the addition of Cespedes is among them. That deal truly sparked their mid-season turnaround. But we'll also look at other big moments and other key players that stepped to the forefront.*
It truly has been a special season so far, and the Mets will hope even bigger moments lie ahead.*
1. Trading for Yoenis Cespedes
The Mets offense was in desperate need of a boost at the trade deadline, which is why Sandy Alderson acquired Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson before setting his sights on Carlos Gomez. Once that deal fell apart, Alderson turned his attention to Detroit Tigers outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and the rest was history. Cespedes gave New York everything it needed and more, hitting .287.337/.604 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs over 57 games.
For a little perspective on Cespedes' impact, the Mets were the worst offensive team in the NL from April through July, hitting .234 as a team and scoring 3.5 runs per games. After landing Cespedes, New York was first in runs scored, scoring 6.2 per game over the final two months. As a team they hit .275.*
2. The Wilmer Flores game
Flores was in the middle of the Carlos Gomez drama as well. We'll never forget the shortstop playing through tears, thinking he was headed to the Milwaukee Brewers once the deal became official. It never did, and Flores turned his frown upside down 48 hours later by launching a walk-off home run against the Nationals. That home run started the sweep that completely turned the NL East around.
3. Jacob deGrom continues his dominance
After earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2014, deGrom came right back with an equally impressive sophomore season, posting a 2.54 ERA over 191 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander earned his first All-Star selection, and then announced his arrival on the big stage by striking out the side in his lone inning. He's looked no less impressive in the postseason, earning three straight road wins. That includes wins over the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. He should start Game 1 of the World Series.
4. Daniel Murphy's historic postseason
The Mets second baseman has morphed from a solid contributor to the biggest difference maker in the postseason in a span of nine games. Murphy has hit safely in all nine postseason games and has a franchise record seven home runs. Not a record for one postseason mind you, but all-time for any Met. He's also homered in six straight postseason games, which set another record. When he isn't homering, he's playing strong defense and making something happen on the bases. He's the hottest player on the planet right now, and the Mets are riding the wave.
[Related: Daniel Murphy homers in sixth straight playoff game, easily wins NLCS MVP]
In his first season off Tommy John surgery, Harvey resumed being a stud in New York's rotation. In 29 starts, Harvey posted a 2.71 ERA over 189 innings. It's as impressive a bounce back as one could expect from that operation, and despite concerns about his workload he's held up just fine. In fact, he just posted one of his best outings in NLCS Game 1, holding the Cubs to two runs over 7 2/3 innings.
6. They beat the best
The Nationals were considered a clear favorite not just to win the NL East, but the entire NL. The Mets went through them and then left them in their dust. Once in the postseason, the Mets disposed of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, defeating both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke along the way. Now they've swept the Chicago Cubs in almost stunning fashion during the NLCS, including wins over Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta. There's nothing the Toronto Blue Jays or Kansas City Royals can throw at the Mets that will overwhelm them.
7. and 8. Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are good too
The Mets rotation isn't just young, it's also very deep with Syndergaard and Matz now completely in the fold. Syndergaard debuted on May 12 and went on to post a 3.24 ERA over 24 starts and 150 innings. He also posted an impressive 10.0 strikeout per nine innings. He picked up the win in NLCS Game 2, but his biggest contribution may have come in relief in NLDS Game 5 when he pitched a scoreless inning after throwing 100 warm-up pitches.
Matz, on the other hand, was limited by injuries, but looked good when healthy. He was 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA during the regular season. He really made noise in his MLB debut, holding the Cincinnati Reds to two runs over 7 2/3 innings on June 28. Matz also picked up three hits and drove in four runs on that historic afternoon.
9. Jeurys Familia takes over as closer
With Jenrry Mejia suspended (twice) and Bobby Parnell injured, the Mets turned to Familia as their closer. The 26-year-old right-hander answered the call by delivering a brilliant season of relief. Familia made 76 appearances for the second straight season and finished a league-high 65 games. He finished with 43 saves and a sparkling 1.65 ERA during the regular season, and has been even better in the postseason, having not allowed a run through 9 2/3 innings.
10. Bartolo Colon
He may not be young and he's certainly not elite at this stage in his career, but Colon has been an important part of this Mets run. As a starter during the regular season, he was excellent, finishing with 14 wins and a 4.16 ERA. In the postseason, he's helped build the bridge to Familia, allowing just two runs over four innings. Factor in the fun moments he's provided at the plate and Colon has brought both production and levity for the last six-plus months.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813