NY Mets Fans: 2 teams you can root for this postseason

With their team officially eliminated from the postseason, New York Mets fans should consider temporarily pivoting their fanhood toward these two teams.

The onset of the 2021 MLB postseason is a source of considerable frustration for faithful fans of the New York Mets. The club, which spent the majority of the season pacing the NL East, seemed poised to make a playoff run.

Fast forward several weeks, and a late-season collapse in which New York set a league record for most games spent leading a division for a team that finished with a losing record, has completely dashed Mets’ fan’s dreams.

Plenty will be written about the combination of injuries, poor play, and sub-par management that plagues the franchise down the final stretch. And rightfully so. However, no amount of armchair quarterbacking can fix the fact that the Mets will not be participating in the postseason.

While many die-hard fans will sour on October baseball, many will likely be looking for new storylines to connect with as they watch their favorite sport’s playoffs unfold. Which teams should Mets’ fans consider pulling for? Here are two suggestions:

The Boston Red Sox

Personally, this franchise often offers an easy point of connection. As much as Mets fans hate to see their team miss the postseason, a late playoff push by the cross-town rival Yankees adds salt to the wound.

I typically find myself casually pulling for Boston often. After all, a team that antagonizes the Yankees is always a good thing in my book. How does the old saying go? The enemy of my enemy is my friend? The same logic applies here.

Boston opens up the postseason with a fascinating matchup against the Yankees in a one-game, winner advances, loser goes home, AL Wild Card game. The biggest rivalry in baseball will renew on the biggest stage!

If you’re a Mets fan looking for a team to invest in, why not considering pulling for the Red Sox? Seeing the rival Yankees have their dreams dashed after just one game would make the season feel a tiny bit more palatable.

By extension, the winner of the Sox/Yankees game goes on to play the division rival Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. Should New York get past Boston in the one-game series, the Rays would be an excellent default team.

The Milwaukee Brewers

Speaking for petty grudges for Mets fans to capitalize on, we give you the Milwaukee Brewers. In a vacuum, Milwaukee is a good story to pull for. The small-market franchise has done quite well in building a legitimate contender in recent seasons.

We’ve seen powerhouse franchises like the Dodgers, Astros, Cardinals, and Giants all find their share of success in recent postseasons. Why not pull for an upstart team seeking to give their fan base what Mets fans hoped they would get to experience.

However, there is one key reason why rooting for the Brewers makes sense: they match up against the NL East Champion (Atlanta Braves?). New York’s worst nightmare would be seeing their chief rival go on a long playoff run. Could you imagine if they hoised the championship trophy at the end of October? Can you imagine how obnoxious those conversations with your Atlanta fan “friends” would be?

The Brew Crew has a chance to end this nightmare before it begins. Say it with me: “Let’s go  Brewers!”

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Which teams will you be rooting for this postseason?