3) The Mets don't have to be all that great to squeak into the postseason
Wishful thinking? Perhaps. Still, it needs to be said. The Mets don't have to win 100 games to make the playoffs. There's a good chance they won't even have to win 90 games to make the playoffs. The Marlins made an unlikely postseason appearance despite winning just 84 games. While it might take a couple more wins to make it this time around, the Mets are not incapable.
The NL East feels out of reach with the Braves and Phillies both looking like threats to win at least 90 if not 100 games. However, the National League having three Wild Card spots opens up all kinds of possibilities.
The Mets have a roster more than capable of at the very least being competitive for a Wild Card spot in the National League. They have a roster led by their solid core and some upside if the young guys and arms like Luis Severino and Sean Manaea turn out to be better than expected.
The addition of a third Wild Card spot means it'll take a whole lot of losing for this team to be completely out of it by the trade deadline. Things can always go south quickly as we saw in 2023, but the Mets should have more than enough talent to at the very least make things interesting and make a run at a Wild Card spot. Even if they fall short, a playoff push is always worth watching.