3 reasons to believe the Mets make the playoffs after series win over the Blue Jays

Do you feel it, New York Mets fans? From Flushing to Freeport, Queens to Quogue, there's a chill in the air most mornings, which can mean only one thing — playoff baseball is almost here.

In a development that would have stunned all but the most ardent believers in late May, the Mets are very much a part of the playoff picture with less than three weeks to go in the regular season. In fact, the Amazins are a game ahead of the Braves for the final National League Wild Card spot, and they're nipping at the heels of both the Padres and Diamondbacks with just 16 games to go.

The Mets boast the best record in baseball since May 30th, but a dismal start to the season, coupled with strong recent play by the above-mentioned teams, means that Carlos Mendoza's club still has its work cut out for it to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

Of the four teams competing for those three Wild Card spots, the Mets have the most difficult remaining schedule. Seven of the final 16 games of the season are against the first-place Phillies, which is why a good showing north of the border against the Blue Jays this week was imperative. It wasn't the prettiest baseball Mets fans have seen in this months-long run, but clearing customs after winning two of three is a good feeling any way you cut it.

The Mets showed a lot these past three days, and there are three reasons to believe that they'll overcome this final gauntlet and finally exorcise some of those Braves demons that have haunted the franchise for the last three decades.

1. The Mets will make the playoffs because they never give up

Entering the ninth inning against Toronto on Wednesday, the Mets had scored just five runs in their past 26 innings. Even worse, they hadn't recorded a hit in their last 38 plate appearances, thanks in large part to Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis' unusual no-hit bid.

Francis certainly got some good luck as the Mets hit several line drives directly at Toronto fielders, but for the most part he kept New York's hitters off-balance all day despite only recording a single strikeout.

Needless to say, there was little reason to believe the Mets' bats would break out of their Canadian slumber with just three outs remaining. Little reason that is, except for Francisco Lindor, who has engineered one of the most remarkable in-season turnarounds in recent baseball history. Lindor, who started the season so poorly that Steve Cohen implored the fans to cheer for him, is now the likely runner-up behind Shohei Ohtani for the N.L. MVP award, and he showed why on Wednesday in crushing a no-doubt-about-it homer off of Francis to tie the game.

That homer jolted the Mets to life, and by time the inning was done they had put six runs on the board to blow the game open.

The Mets have 35 come-from-behind wins this season, and six after trailing in the ninth inning, which is tied for the most in all of baseball. This team does not give up and will fight until the very last out of the very last game of the season.