We break down the Mets’ 2025 season: the spring-to-Fall injury cascade (Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea, Tylor Megill), short starts that gassed the bullpen, an offense that exploded on the wrong nights, and the knife-edge one-run record flip from 2024 to 2025. Then we pivot to why 2026 looks legit: Lindor + Soto (the 30-30 boys), Alvarez’s core-piece trajectory, Brett Baty’s step forward, and a wave of arms (Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong) plus fast-rising names like Jonathan Santucci, Zach Thornton, Will Watson, and more. We also talk minor-league titles (Binghamton/High-A) and how the Mets’ pitching lab + development investments are starting to show up on the mound.
Chapters below. Drop your biggest “if this one play went differently…” moment in the comments.

00:00 Cold open + 5-star ask / Offseason vibe
00:40 “Frustrating” becomes the word of 2025
01:07 ’07 vs 2025: collapse vs slow burn
02:13 Game 162 sting & what this episode will (and won’t) be
03:16 Where it went wrong: injuries + short starts → bullpen strain
05:10 Spring injuries: Montas, Manaea; build-up never right
06:32 Megill’s underrated absence; rushing kids (Tong)
07:59 Bullpen dings: Reed Garrett, A.J. Minter; Brooks steps up
08:18 Offense paradox: big totals, wrong nights to go quiet
09:31 The six “shoulda” games (Aug–Sept)
11:37 0 walk-offs: ninth-inning almosts that never landed
12:25 The agony of one game short
13:49 Bring back Game 163? Why it matters
16:40 One-run game regression: 2024 vs 2025
20:08 Which losses hurt more? Blown leads vs late surrenders
20:51 Bad batted-ball luck examples (Alonso 162, etc.)
24:15 We’re not doing scapegoats—big-picture path ahead
26:10 Why 2026 can pop: Soto/Lindor locked, Alvarez core
27:35 Prospect rocket fuel: McLean, Sproat, Tong, Jack Winokur, Santucci, more
30:12 Winning in the minors (High-A & AA champs) → pipeline effects
31:11 Syracuse in ’26 could be stacked (Williams, Clifford, Benge, Morabito, Ewing)
36:04 Pitching silver linings: Clay Holmes stretch-out, David Peterson innings base
38:07 Expecting a Manaea bounce-back with a full build
38:30 Which kids break camp? McLean’s case, Sproat/Tong lessons
43:32 Inside the lab: why stuff jumps (McLean’s fastball shape)
46:16 Wrap: brutal year, but pieces are lining up
49:05 Thank yous + offseason programming + PC Richard & Son read

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