Mets beat up on three of their National League East rivals in 2018

Despite finishing fourth in the National League East, the New York Mets managed to rough up three of their division rivals throughout 2018.

The New York Mets may have finished in fourth place this past season, but they made sure to beat up on three of their National League East rivals.

The Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals all had losing records when facing the Amazins. The Flushing 25 had a 12-7 record against the Marlins and went 11-8 when facing the Phillies and Nationals for a combined record of 34-23.

It’s no shock to see the Marlins, whose last-place finish in the division came as no surprise, finish with such a poor record against New York. The way they handled the Phillies and Nationals, though, is something fewer saw coming.

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The Phillies were competitive for most of the year with playoff hopes until their September collapse. The Nationals never made much noise at all, instead passing the Philadelphia with an average performance down the stretch thanks to the latter’s sluggish final month.

To see the Mets play this well against three of the teams they see 19 times a year is a positive sign. Three games over .500 may not seem like a lot. Considering how long the season is and how many different versions of the Mets took the field, it’s a solid victory and not one to look at lightly.

So, with such a great record against three teams they saw regularly, why did the Mets struggle?

For starters, the 6-13 record against the Atlanta Braves didn’t help any. In fact, when up against each of the five teams that qualified for the postseason, we saw our favorite New York team lose more than they won.

Below is their record when facing National League playoff teams in 2018:

Braves: 6-13
Brewers: 3-4
Cubs: 1-6
Dodgers: 2-4
Rockies: 1-6

These are the only five teams the Mets were below .500 against. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. However, it clearly shows why they are where they are. The 2018 team could not compete with the best in the league.

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The Amazins may have figured out the Marlins, Nationals, and Phillies. Next year, they need to do the same with at least one of the upper echelon. The difference could have a major impact on where they finish the year.