NEW YORK -- The 2007 Mets remain the gold standard for September collapses. Blowing a seven-game lead with seven to play remains one of the most statistically improbable downturns in Major League history. The players on that team are forever marked by what happened down the stretch.

The 2025 Mets are not that. Their implosion has been slower, steadier, easier to see coming. Their 3-2 loss to the last-place Nationals on Sunday once again put their National League Wild Card standing at risk, depending on the Reds’ result against the Cubs.

At the end of the game at Citi Field, the Mets no longer held control of their own destiny. It’s a fate that has been chasing them since mid-June.

Sunday’s loss followed a familiar formula: New York fell behind early due to a subpar starting pitching

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