Featured Photo: Manager for the New York Mets, Carlos Mendoza, takes ball from pitcher Tylor Megill (38) in a game against the Miami Marlins. (Photo Credit / Pamela Smith/AP Photo)
There were a couple of teams in the MLB last season who thought they deserved a place playing in October but ultimately missed the postseason. This season, they take aim again as they make their way to the playoffs.
New York Mets
2025 Record
83-79, second in NL East
Juan Soto (22), New York Mets right fielder, being greeted in the dugout after a two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves. (Photo Credit / Wendell Cruz- Imagn Images)
In the 2024 offseason, Juan Soto signed the most lucrative contract in the MLB and in North American sports history: a whopping 15-year, $765 million contract. Their offseason didn’t end there with other big signings like the two-year, $54 million extension of first-baseman Pete Alonso.
The Mets missed the postseason entirely after being one of the biggest spenders in the league. They finished second in their division, a whopping 13 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. They also failed to clinch a Wild Card spot, losing it to the Cincinnati Reds after losing the tie breaking season series. The Mets were a laughing stock. They had arguably the biggest offseason in the franchise’s history, and they weren’t even close to winning their division.
This offseason, the Mets stayed busy. Milwaukee Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta was sent to the Big Apple alongside Tobias Myers for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. This trade is huge for the Mets, with Peralta being one of the best pitchers last season. He helped lead the Brewers to being the best team in the regular season last year with an earned-run-average(ERA) of 2.70
Bo Bichette also signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the New York Mets. Bichette was an extremely consistent hitter with a batting average of .311 with the Toronto Blue Jays last season.
The Mets also made a big addition to their defense with the acquirement of center fielder Luis Robert Jr., sending Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley to the Chicago White Sox.
The Mets need to find their way to back to the postseason this year. It’s playoffs or bust.
Houston Astros
2025
87-75, second in AL West
Jose Altuve celebrates three-run home run with his teammates. (Photo Credit / Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The Astros were another team that came close to the postseason. They have been a successful ball club in recent years with four american league pennants and two World Series titles in the past ten years. They were eliminated in the Wild Card round of the 2024 postseason by the Detroit Tigers and failed to make the postseason due to losing the tiebreaker season series against the Tigers.
In 2025, the Astros were ranked seventh in MLB payroll according to Yahoo Sports. Certain players on the team definitely had successful seasons, such as shortstop Jeremy Pena with a batting average of .304. While first baseman Christian Walker led the team with 27 home runs.
The Astros did not have a big offseason this year, with few major signings. The team must be confident they will see success this season with the same roster.
