Unlikely World Series matchup inspires conflicting emotions in NY Mets fans

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The 2023 World Series is set to begin on Friday, and it features an unlikely battle between two teams that just two years ago both lost over 100 games. Few people expected the Texas Rangers or Arizona Diamondbacks to be on the precipice of glory when spring training began, least of all fans of the New York Mets, who entered the season full of hope that this could be the first time since 1986 that their team would go all the way.

With apologies to George R. R. Martin (if he ever releases his final two books, that is), the Mets' dream of spring quickly gave way to the winds of winter. After a hot start in April, nothing seemed to go right for the team, as they quickly fell out of not just the N.L. East race, but the crowded Wild Card race, as well.

Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, two of the players that Mets fans were counting on to lead the team to the promised land, were traded before the trade deadline, but they were only part of the mass exodus from Flushing that is still reverberating throughout the playoffs. This postseason has been positively littered with players that began the season on the Mets roster, such as Mark Canha of the Brewers, David Robertson of the Marlins, and Tommy Pham of the Diamondbacks.

No matter what happens in the World Series, at least two former Mets will be able to call themselves champions this year. Scherzer's trade to Texas reunited him with fellow former Mets ace Jacob deGrom, and the Rangers roster also includes Travis Jankowski, who spent part of 2022 with the Mets as a utility outfielder. Pham is joined in Arizona by reliever Paul Sewald, who spent the first four seasons of his major league career with the Mets before moving on to the Seattle Mariners.

Who should Mets fans root for?

It's a difficult choice, and one that most Mets fans didn't expect to have to make. Had the Phillies or Braves reached the World Series, close to 100% of Mets fans would have been in the American League's corner, but this decision requires a little more nuance now that the two worst-case scenarios have been averted.

Let's begin with the Rangers. Most Mets fans are still bitter towards Max Scherzer, a feeling that stems from a couple of places. First, though it would be unfair to say Scherzer was bad in New York, he certainly didn't live up to the expectations Mets fans had when he inked a three-year, $130 million deal. Scherzer's bust will reside in Cooperstown one day, and deservedly so, but when the Mets needed him most, he was unable to shoulder the weight of being the team's ace.

Scherzer also burned some bridges when he left town, saying in his introductory press conference with the Rangers that he was told by Mets general manager Billy Eppler that the team didn't intend to go all-in on 2024. Whether that's true or was told to Scherzer just so he would waive his no-trade clause (allowing the Mets to acquire highly regarded prospect Luisangel Acuna), nobody knows, but it still left a sour taste in the mouths of Mets fans.

Jacob deGrom made the choice to leave the Mets in free agency after the 2022 season, a move that felt to many Mets fans like a betrayal after they stuck by the uber-talented righty through an injury-plagued last few years. Full confession, deGrom is my favorite Met of all-time, and was even before he became the best pitcher in baseball. His decision to leave the Mets, though, didn't seem like a huge surprise, even if it hurt at the time.

The most memorable part of Travis Jankowski's time in a Mets uniform was when he said that "no one's going to be buying my jersey," and then the Mets all wore Jankowski shirts while warming up less than two weeks later. A local product from Stony Brook, Jankowski was well-liked by fans even though he didn't get to see the field often.

Most Mets fans would probably not want Scherzer to get a ring, especially when the Mets are paying a big chunk of his salary. Feelings on deGrom are more mixed. Personally, I'm still rooting for him, but he's been out nearly the entire season with a torn UCL, so I have to imagine winning a championship this year when he wasn't able to contribute would ring somewhat hollow for him. As for Jankowski, most Mets fans would be happy for him if the Rangers pulled it off.

How do Mets fans feel about the Diamondbacks?

Feelings on Tommy Pham are complicated. The left fielder was superb for the Mets, and with an .820 OPS in 79 games before being traded, he was arguably their best hitter in the first half of the year. Never one to keep his feelings in, though, he blasted the Mets' work ethic after leaving, although he did make exceptions for Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo. This rubbed many fans the wrong way, but with the way the team underperformed this year, it's hard to refute his point.

Sewald was a subpar reliever during his time in New York, but he's had a career revival since leaving the Mets (where have we heard that before?). It's a bit jarring to see him recording the final outs of a playoff series, but any lingering distaste for the former Met has dimmed over time.

No matter what happens in the World Series, Mets fans can all agree that although the season was a disappointing one, it could have been much worse if the Braves or the Phillies were scheduling a parade two weeks from now.

Both the Rangers and the Diamondbacks have exciting players that baseball fans have become more familiar with this postseason. Adolis Garcia of the Rangers has looked like the best hitter on the planet, while the Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll has shown flashes of why he's a lock to win National League Rookie of the Year. In Jordan Montgomery and Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., each team has a player that we recently wrote about that could be a great fit on the Mets next year.

The Rangers are prohibitive favorites, but as we've seen this postseason, anything can, and will, happen. Sharing a town with the Yankees has long given the Mets an underdog persona, so in that respect, the pick would be the Diamondbacks.

Ultimately, most Mets fans will probably come down on the side of the players they like the best, or at this point, dislike the least. Jankowski and Sewald probably don't factor into the equation too much, nor does deGrom, since he's been hurt. That means it comes down to Pham vs. Scherzer. Pham wasn't in New York long, but he was better than even the most optimistic Mets fan could have hoped, and he correctly called out the failings of the team after he was traded away. Scherzer, whose arrival came with championship aspirations, ended his Mets tenure with a fizzle.

It felt good rooting for Arizona as they toppled the Phillies, and it would be nice to see Tommy Pham become a champion after a career of defying expectations. I have no ill will towards Scherzer, but neither do I love the idea of him hoisting the trophy while Steve Cohen is still paying him. Snakes alive, let's go Diamondbacks.

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