3 biggest postseason threats to the Mets after the trade deadline

The New York Mets entered the trade deadline with the second-best record in the National League despite missing their best player, Jacob deGrom, for the entire season and without their key free agent signing Max Scherzer for seven weeks.

Even with an underwhelming trade deadline the Mets are well positioned to make a deep postseason run for the first time since 2015.

The Mets have the best starting rotation in baseball, the best closer in baseball in Edwin Diaz, and a lineup that is third in the National League and fifth in all of baseball in runs scored. That offense also got much better with the acquisitions of Darin Ruf and Daniel Vogelbach replacing J.D. Davis and Dom Smith.

With all of the good that's come with this season, the Mets still have a lot of competition to go up against to try and win their sixth National League Pennant in franchise history.

3) Mets post trade deadline postseason threat: San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres made the splash of all splashes, acquiring Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Nationals. The package was the biggest in baseball history and the Padres acquired a player in Soto who is on pace to be one of the best players ever.

The Padres' weakness was their offense, as Fernando Tatis Jr. has been out all season so the lineup has pretty much been average to below-average players surrounded by MVP candidate Manny Machado.

With the additions of Soto and Bell, the lineup becomes very formidable. A top four featuring Tatis Jr., Soto, Machado, and Bell is impossible to pitch to. The Padres did also acquire Brandon Drury who broke out in Cincinnati and will help lengthen their lineup.

The Padres also made arguably the second biggest splash of the deadline, acquiring Josh Hader from the Brewers in exchange for Trevor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, and two prospects. Even with a very poor month of July in which he allowed 13 of the 16 runs he's given up all year, Hader is one of the best and most dominant closers we've ever seen.

The lineup got better, the bullpen got better, and the rotation didn't have to get better. Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish have pitched like the aces they are this season. Sean Manaea has been a stable mid-rotation arm. Blake Snell and Mike Clevinger both returned from injuries and after slow starts have really picked it up in the last month or so.

The Padres are for real, and if the Mets run into them in October they are trouble. They took four of six from the Mets in the regular season and that's without Soto and Tatis. With the pitching they have, they match up against the Mets just about as well as anybody.

2) Mets post trade deadline postseason threat: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves will never go away. It was unbelievable that the Mets took four games of the massive five-game series. A 6.5-game lead is huge, but can easily evaporate.

The Braves have been there and done that before. They were the team to overtake the Mets last season and win the division. While this Mets team is obviously way better than last year's, I believe this year's Braves team is even better than the one that just won the World Series.

They did lose Freddie Freeman, but the dropoff from Freeman to Matt Olson isn't very extreme. Olson is a Gold-Glove caliber first baseman with unbelievable power and the ability to hit for extra bases.

Austin RIley would probably be the NL MVP runner-up to Paul Goldschmidt if the season ended today. Dansby Swanson is enjoying a breakout year which saw him make the all-star team.

And yes, the Braves still have Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuna did not look right during this five-game series, but with more time left in the season, I still have to expect he becomes more comfortable with more time passing and the more comfortable he gets, the scarier he is.

The Braves have also been without Ozzie Albies, another impact bat who can change the outcome of any given game.

The Braves rank fourth in baseball in runs scored, just one run behind the Mets for third. They lead the National League in home runs and they lead all of baseball in total bases. That's with Acuna nowhere near his best and Albies missing substantial time.

They are loaded offensively, and arguably just as good on the other side of the ball. Max Fried, even though he hasn't looked his best against the Mets, is a bonafide ace. Spencer Strider, even though he hasn't looked good at all against the Mets either, has been electric against just about everyone else.

Kyle Wright has enjoyed a breakout campaign. Charlie Morton is one of the great postseason performers who has had a lot of success against the Mets in the past.

Their rotation is rock solid, and their bullpen is even better. Kenley Jansen is an experienced closer who's enjoyed success in his first season in Atlanta. He's also a guy the Mets never seem to hit off of.

The Braves added Raisel Iglesias to be Jansen's primary set-up man, in a trade the Mets probably should have made.

They also have guys like A.J. Minter, Tyler Matzek, and Collin McHugh who have all had solid years and all have postseason experience.

The Braves bullpen is as deep and as good as they come. The Mets have the edge at closer but their bridge to Diaz is not as structurally sound as the Braves bridge to Kenley.

In order to be the champs, the Mets will most likely have to beat the champs. They've done that so far, going 8-4 against their rival, but the postseason is a different beast.