It was all lined up for the New York Mets . A gift-wrapped opportunity to punch their ticket to October baseball sat right in front of them. The Milwaukee Brewers had done their part, taking down the Cincinnati Reds and clearing a path for the Mets to control their destiny. All New York had to do was beat the Miami Marlins on Sunday.

Instead, the Mets flatlined. A 4-0 loss to Miami didn’t just close out the regular season — it slammed the door on a year that started with promise and ended in bitter disappointment. From a 45-24 start in mid-June to an uninspiring 83-79 finish, the Mets unraveled like a once-tight rope suddenly fraying under pressure.

A season of squandered potential

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Ownership opened its checkbook to the tune of more than $300 million, the

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